Unlike a conventional spherical lens, a "cylinder lens" has curvature along only one axis, as shown in the first figure. Cylinder lenses are useful in applications where light needs to be manipulated in only one direction. The example shown is a plano-convex positive lens, which brings parallel rays to a line focus.
Read More >Three Examples of Using Cylinder Optics for Beam Shaping
Zemax: The Software Solution to Find the Ideal Lens
When creating an optical system, there are many challenges an engineer faces when choosing how to design a lens. Choosing the correct lens without the right tools can prove to be very difficult and costly. Zemax, a ray-tracing optical design software program, provides designs and analyses for imaging and illumination systems. This allows for the user to view the way different lenses work while providing analysis diagrams documenting a variety of data sets. Zemax is a great tool to improve performance, shorten time to market, and reduce production costs.
Read More >Secrets of Optical Design, Part 3: Mastering Design Software
This article is the last of our three-part series on optical design secrets. In previous
Three Applications of Rod Lenses
A previous article explored applications of cylinder lenses. In those examples, the lenses were only curved on one side—the other side was flat (i.e. "plano-"). Cylinder lenses can be curved on both sides, though, creating a "rod lens." Rod lenses are unique in that they can be used either side-on or end-on depending upon the application. Here are three examples of their versatility.
Read More >Warming Up: Three Hot Markets for the Infrared Optical Industry
Demand for infrared optical elements has extended beyond just lens assemblies and hot/cold mirrors. Specifically, there is growing interest across the optical industry for bandpass filters, achromats, athermal elements, and polarizing waveplates. The demand spans all IR wavelength bands—near IR (0.75 µm to 1.4 µm), short-wavelength IR (1.4 µm to 3 µm), mid-wavelength IR (3 µm to 8 µm), and long-wavelength IR (8 µm to 15 µm). Advances in sensor and source technology, as well as a changing marketplace, are driving this growth. Demand from three industries stands out as particularly noteworthy:
Read More >Optics Provide a High-Res Look at a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Stock image, Claudio Ventrella
Have you ever tried to take a picture of a bright full moon or a star-filled sky, only to be disappointed when virtually nothing shows up on your phone screen? The distance and brightness of these objects make it nearly impossible to get a sharp image—and that’s just in our own galaxy.
Read More >Looking Forward to Great Views and Productive Conversations at Optics + Photonics in San Diego
SPIE Optics + Photonics (O+P) is coming up in San Diego, California, the week of August 6. The optics industry changes quickly, and O+P is a prime place to catch up on the latest developments across the field, with an even mix of technological innovations and applications.
Read More >Enabling New Photonics Tech: Hot Topics in R&D from Photonics West
The annual SPIE Photonics West conference in San Francisco set new attendance records. More than 22,000 people met to discuss the latest in light-based science and engineering, and the exhibition hall, featuring 1,345 companies, sold out months in advance. The BiOS, LASE, and OPTO conferences were the place to learn about the latest photonics R&D.
Read More >The Hunt for Large Lenses Stops Here
Do other optics suppliers think you’re weird for wanting large lenses? We don’t.
As more and more optical suppliers consolidate and streamline their businesses, few continue to carry large diameter lenses. This is problematic because large diameter optics remain critical for precision instruments such as telescopes and imagers.
Read More >Three Unusual Scientific Applications of Smartphones
Smartphones are so ubiquitous that it is easy to forget the extraordinary technology we carry in our pockets. The 2015 generation smartphones have over twenty times the processing capability of IBM’s famous Deep Blue supercomputer, and they also feature a high-resolution camera and a wireless internet connection. With very little modification a smartphone can become a powerful, portable scientific instrument. Here are a few of the more unexpected smartphone applications.
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