All-spherical catadioptric telescope design for wide-field imaging

The current trend in building medium-size telescopes for wide-field imaging is to use a Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) design with a multilens corrector near the focus. Our goal is to find a cost-effective alternative design to the RC system for seeing-limited observations. We present an f/4.5 all-spherical catadioptric system with a 1.5° field of view. The system consists of a 0.8 m spherical primary and 0.4 m flat secondary mirror combined with a meniscus lens and followed by a three-lens field corrector. The optical performance is comparable to an equivalent f/4.5 RC system. We conclude that, for telescopes with apertures up to 2 m, the catadioptric design is a good alternative to the RC system.     

Diffractive-refractive correction units for plastic compact zoom lenses

A method of designing a plastic zoom lens with a diffractive-refractive hybrid corrector, comprising one diffractive lens and one refractive lens, is described. The efficiency of this method is demonstrated by designing a compact zoom lens for a mobile phone. This zoom design, incorporating lenses made only of two commercial optical plastics (polymethylmethacrylate and polycarbonate), provides high optical performance.     

Diffractive-refractive hybrid corrector for achro- and apochromatic corrections of optical systems

The possibility is shown of achro- and apochromatic correction of an optical system with any residual chromatism by completing the system with a diffractive-refractive hybrid corrector comprising one diffractive lens and one or two refractive lenses.     

Compensation of chromatic errors in high na molded objective lenses

High NA molded glass objective lenses are commercially available for use in the 680 nm to 850 nm range. We show that a simple positive lens can be used with an objective lens to compensate for wavelength-induced aberration in the 400 nm to 700 nm range. There is a direct relationship between the optimum power of the corrector lens and the wavelength of interest. We also show that a single positive lens and a holographic optical element can be used with an objective lens to compensate for wavelength-induced aberration over a wide range of wavelengths.     

Achromatic system for a twisted alignment liquid crystal wavefront corrector

A twisted nematic liquid crystal wavefront corrector (TN-LCWFC) partially modulates the incident polarized light. A blazed grating may be preapplied on the TN-LCWFC to filter the unmodulated light for the purpose of stable adaptive correction. However, for broadband light, the dispersion of the blazed grating affects the image resolution. An achromatic method is presented to eliminate the dispersion of the blazed grating. Based on a prism model, we analyze the achromatic principle. An achromatic system with a conjugated blazed grating and an achromatic lens is given to eliminate the dispersion. An experiment was done with two transmitted blazed gratings so as to validate our method. Finally, a liquid crystal spatial light modulator was used as a conjugated grating to eliminate the dispersion of the blazed grating in an adaptive optics system. The results showed that the dispersion was partially compensated, and a resolvable image was achieved with a 600-700 nm wave band.     

Active optics null test system based on a liquid crystal programmable spatial light modulator

We present an active null test system adapted to test lenses and wavefronts with complex shapes and strong local deformations. This system provides greater flexibility than conventional static null tests that match only a precisely positioned, individual wavefront. The system is based on a cylindrical Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, a commercial liquid crystal programmable phase modulator (PPM), which acts as the active null corrector, enabling the compensation of large strokes with high fidelity in a single iteration, and a spatial filter to remove unmodulated light when steep phase changes are compensated. We have evaluated the PPM's phase response at 635 nm and checked its performance by measuring its capability to generate different amounts of defocus aberration, finding root mean squared errors below λ/18 for spherical wavefronts with peak-to-valley heights of up to 78.7λ, which stands as the limit from which diffractive artifacts created by the PPM have been found to be critical under no spatial filtering. Results of a null test for a complex lens (an ophthalmic customized progressive addition lens) are presented and discussed.     

An improved numerical scheme for the sine‐Gordon equation in 2+1 dimensions

A rational approximant of order 4, which is applied to a three‐time‐level recurrence relation, is used to transform the initial/boundary‐value problem associated with the two‐dimensional sine‐Gordon (SG) equation arising in the Josephson junctions problem. The resulting non‐linear system, which is analyzed for stability, is solved using an appropriate predictor–corrector (P–C) scheme, in which an explicit scheme of order 2 is used as predictor. For the implementation of the corrector, in order to avoid extended matrix evaluations, an auxiliary vector was successfully introduced. In this P–C scheme, a modification in the corrector has been proposed according to which the already evaluated corrected values are considered. The behavior of this P–C scheme is tested numerically on line and ring solitons known from the bibliography regarding the SG equation and conclusions for both undamped and damped problems are derived. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

用可编程ASIC实现的波前校正器过压保护网络

波前校正器是自适应光学系统中的关键部件之一，制作困难，且在加电压不当时容易损坏。本文阐述了波前校正器的过压损坏机理，提出了利用分压网络避免波前校正器过压损坏的方案，介绍了基于可编程ＡＳＩＣ的过压保护电路的实现。此电路经测试，取得了较满意的结果。     

System design considerations to improve isoplanatism for adaptive optics retinal imaging

Adaptive optics (AO) retinal images are limited by anisoplanatism; wavefront shape varies across the field of view such that only a limited area can achieve diffraction-limited image quality at one time. We explored three alternative AO modalities designed to reduce this effect, drawn from work in astronomy. Optical design analysis and computer modeling was undertaken to predict the benefit of each modality for various schematic eyes and various complexities of the imaging system. Off-axis performance was found to be limited by system parameters and not by the eye itself, due to the inherent off-axis characteristics of the eye's gradient index lens. This rendered the alternative AO modalities ineffectual compared with conventional AO but did suggest several methods by which anisoplanatism may be reduced by altering the design of conventional AO systems. Several of these design possibilities were explored with further modeling. The best-performing method involved the replacement of system lenses with gradient index versions inspired by the human eye lens. Mirror-based relay optics also demonstrated good off-axis performance, but their advantage was lost in regions of the system suffering from uncorrected higher-order aberration. Incorporating "off-the-plane" beam deviations ameliorated this loss substantially. In this work we also show, to our knowledge for the first time, that the ideal location of a single AO corrector need not lie in the pupil plane.     

New predictor/corrector algorithms with improved energy balance for a recent formulation of dynamic vehicle/structure interaction

A new class of predictor/corrector algorithms is proposed to solve the complex system of differential equations that arises from a Galerkin spatial discretization of the equations of motion in a recent formulation of dynamic vehicle/structure interaction. The applicability of the concept of a building-block vehicle/structure interaction model developed in our previous work—where the vehicle nominal motion is not prescribed a priori, but is part of the unknown motion of the system—is demonstrated through the construction of a simple vehicle model. In the new algorithms, the presence of the accelerations of the vehicle component is eliminated in the predictor structural equations, making these equations different from the corrector structural equations. The special treatment of the predicted axial motion that provides an artificial damping to eliminate unstable oscillations in the numerical results as proposed in the old algorithms is avoided. Accurate results from numerical simulations using the new algorithms are obtained, and there are no unstable oscillations that were observed in some other predictor/corrector schemes. The system energy balance is also better preserved compared with the old algorithms.     

A general conjugate‐gradient‐based predictor–corrector solver for explicit finite‐element contact

A Lagrange‐multiplier based approach is presented for the general solution of multi‐body contact within an explicit finite element framework. The technique employs an explicit predictor step to permit the detection of interpenetration and then utilizes a corrector step, whose solution is obtained with a pre‐conditioned matrix‐free conjugate gradient projection method, to determine the Lagrange multipliers necessary to eliminate the predicted penetration. The predictor–corrector algorithm is developed for deformable bodies based upon the central difference method, and for rigid bodies from momentum and energy conserving approaches. Both frictionless and Coulomb‐based frictional contact idealizations are addressed. The technique imposes no time‐step constraints and quickly mitigates velocity discontinuities across closed interfaces. Special attention is directed toward contact between rigid bodies. Algorithmic moment arms conserve the translational and angular momentums of the system in the absence of external loads. Elastic collisions are captured with a two‐phase predictor–corrector approach and a geometrically approximate velocity jump criterion. The first step solves the inelastic contact problem and identifies inactive constraints between rigid bodies, while the second step generates the necessary velocity jump condition on the active constraints. The velocity criterion is shown to algorithmically preserve the system kinetic energy for two unconstrained rigid bodies. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This paper was produced under the auspices of the U.S. Government and it is therefore not subject to copyright in the U.S.     

Path following and critical points for contact problems

This work is concerned with the problem of tracing the equilibrium path in large displacement frictionless contact problems. Conditions for the detection of critical points along the equilibrium path are also given. By writing the problem as a system of non-linear B-differentiable functions, the non-differentiability due to the presence of the unilateral contact constraints is overcome. The path-following algorithm is given as a predictor-corrector method, where the corrector part is performed using Newton's method for B-differentiable functions. A new type of displacement constraints are introduced where the constraining displacement node may change during the corrector iterations. Furthermore it is shown that, in addition to the usual bifurcation and limit points, bifurcation is possible or the equilibrium path may have reached an end point even if the stiffness matrix is non-singular.     

Houghton anastigmatic telescope containing aspheric mirrors that allows corrector position as a free parameter

A family of catadioptric telescopes is investigated, characterzied with two-element, full-aperture afocal corrector lenses and aspherical, focusing, primary mirrors or primary-secondary mirror combination. Third-order aberration and design equation are provided for anastigmatic systems in which corrector position must be a free parameter, forcing the consideration of aspherics on the mirrored surfaces.     

Phase-correction of turbulent distortions of an optical wave propagating under conditions of strong intensity fluctuations

Phase correction of a plane wave and a spatiolimited beam propagating through a turbulent layer of atmosphere were considered. The required adaptive corrector element size and the system bandwidth were found by numerical simulation. These requirements were determined to be the same as for a weak-intensity scintillation approximation. The size of the required segmented mirror element was found to be equal to Fried length r0, whereas the tolerable time lag was r0/V, where V is the wind velocity. However, the local slope sensors then became impractical, as did tip-tilt correction over the corrector subapertures.     

线聚焦光学相干层析术的研究

提出了一种高速光学相干层析(OCT)成像技术方案。利用柱面镜的成像特性将传统OCT的点聚焦成像模式改变为线聚焦成像模式,从而降低二维OCT图像的扫描维数,达到提高成像速度的目的。利用ZEMAX光学软件对系统进行光线追迹获得光束经过柱面镜后的聚焦情况。随后采用635nm的激光光源和柱面镜构建了实验系统,实验结果很好地验证了光线追迹仿真结果。     

An optimized predictor–corrector scheme for fast 3D crack growth simulations

An optimized predictor–corrector scheme for the accelerated simulation of 3D fatigue crack growth is presented. Based on experimental evidence, it is assumed that the crack front shape ensures a constant energy release rate. Starting from a crack front satisfying this requirement a predictor step is performed. Usually, the new crack front does not fulfill the requirement of a constant energy release rate. Therefore, several corrector steps are needed. Within the new predictor–corrector scheme the history of crack growth is taken into account to reduce the number of corrector steps. The efficiency of the new scheme is shown on two numerical examples providing a speed up of a factor above three.     

Adaptive optics technique to overcome the turbulence in a large-aperture collimator

A collimator with a long focal length and large aperture is a very important apparatus for testing large-aperture optical systems. But it suffers from internal air turbulence, which may limit its performance and reduce the testing accuracy. To overcome this problem, an adaptive optics system is introduced to compensate for the turbulence. This system includes a liquid crystal on silicon device as a wavefront corrector and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. After correction, we can get a plane wavefront with rms of about 0.017 lambda (lambda=0.6328 microm) emitted out of a larger than 500 mm diameter aperture. The whole system reaches diffraction-limited resolution.     

Spherical primary telescope with aspheric correction at a small internal pupil

The aspheric plate at the center of curvature of a spherical primary is replaced by a small aspheric corrector at a minified pupil located inside a reimaging camera. The correctors are identical for each reimaging camera because the spherical aberration of the primary sphere is identical and symmetrical for all field positions. The magnitude of the field aberrations is evaluated over a range of primary focal ratios and minified pupil diameters. The major term is the increased field angle through the minified aspheric corrector. The field and chromatic aberrations in such a camera are compared with the equivalent full-aperture Schmidt corrector. Field-of-view partitioning enables each subfield to be designed for specific observational requirements, such as multiple-fiber spectrography or CCD imaging. Field partitioning is shown to be a powerful means for the replacement of the large aspheric corrector of a Schmidt telescope by a multiplicity of small reimaging subsystems. The cost to fill the typical wide field of a Schmidt telescope with reimaging modules is approximately 1% the cost of a Schmidt aspheric plate.     

A GENERALIZED VARIABLE FORMULATION FOR GRADIENT DEPENDENT SOFTENING PLASTICITY

A mesh-independent finite element method for elastoplastic problems with softening is proposed. The regularization of the boundary value problem is achieved introducing in the yield function the second order gradient of the plastic multiplier. The backward-difference integrated finite-step problem enriched with the gradient term is given a variational formulation where the consitutive equations are treated in weak form as well as the other field equations. A predictor–corrector scheme is proposed for the solution of the non-linear algebraic problem resulting from the finite element discretization of the functional. The expression of the consistent tangent matrix is provided and the corrector phase is formulated as a Linear Complementarity Problem. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified by one- and two-dimensional tests.