Alteration of imaging properties of an optical pickup's objective lens by a nonrotationally symmetric coating

One can control the aberrations of an optical readout system by varying the width of a strip of antireflection coatings deposited upon plastic objective lenses. It is found that one can control the magnitude of the third-order astigmatism of the system by changing the coating width. This process has the advantage that it does not significantly cause other kinds of aberration such as coma and spherical aberrations to deteriorate. When these nonrotational symmetrically (NRS) coated lenses are used for off-axis operations such as tracking movements in optical drives, the change in the magnitude of the astigmatism (DAS) that is generated can be made smaller than those of symmetrically coated or noncoated lenses. As much as a 73% decrease in DAS was observed experimentally with a NRS-coated lens. Including the birefringence of the plastic material in the analysis yields a low and constant level of astigmatism generated by shifting of the objective lens.     

Problem of track offset in optical disk systems

In an optical disk drive, it is well known that a tilt of the disk causes an offset in the tracking-error signal (TES). One effect of disk tilt is the introduction of a dc component to the TES, which can be largely corrected by operation of the tracking system at the midpoint between the maximum and the minimum values of the open-loop TES. However, this method of correcting for the dc shift in the TES does not correct for the effect of coma in the focused spot, which leads to track offset. The track offset of a system is defined as the distance between the peak irradiance in the focused spot and the center of the groove when the tracking system is operating at the midpoint between the maximum and the minimum values of the open-loop TES in the presence of disk tilt. Calculations are performed that show the dependence of track offset on various system parameters, including track pitch, wavelength, and numerical aperture and rim intensity of the objective lens, and on the regions of the beam used to generate the TES. The track offsets for several beam-segmentation schemes are calculated for a digital versatile disk that uses push-pull and differential phase tracking. It is shown that for differential phase tracking the value of track offset depends on the mark length.     

Computer simulations of effects of disk tilt and lens tilt on push-pull tracking error signal in an optical disk drive

We quantify the effects of disk tilt and objective lens tilt on the push-pull tracking error signal of an optical disk data storage system. For a grooved disk, such as a recordable compact disk that operates at a laser wavelength of lambda, it is found that disk tilt produces a tracking offset of 0.05lambda per degree of tilt, whereas objective lens tilt produces an offset of 0.012lambda per degree of tilt. The amplitude of the tracking error signal decreases by 2.5% at the disk tilt angle of 0.3 degrees and by 5% at the objective lens tilt of 0.3 degrees . We achieved these simulations with the computer program Diffract, which performs a combination of diffraction and ray-tracing calculations through the entire optical path, from the light source to the detectors.     

Design, assembly, and optical bench testing of a high-numerical-aperture miniature injection-molded objective for fiber-optic confocal reflectance microscopy

The design, analysis, assembly methods, and optical-bench test results for a miniature injection-molded plastic objective lens used in a fiber-optic confocal reflectance microscope are presented. The five-lens plastic objective was tested as a stand-alone optical system before its integration into a confocal microscope for in vivo imaging of cells and tissue. Changing the spacing and rotation of the individual optical elements can compensate for fabrication inaccuracies and improve performance. The system performance of the miniature objective lens is measured by use of an industry-accepted slanted-edge modulation transfer function (MTF) metric. An estimated Strehl ratio of 0.61 and a MTF value of 0.66 at the fiber-optic bundle Nyquist frequency have been obtained. The optical bench testing system is configured to permit interactive optical alignment during testing to optimize performance. These results are part of an effort to demonstrate the manufacturability of low-cost, high-performance biomedical optics for high-resolution in vivo imaging. Disposable endoscopic microscope objectives could help in vivo confocal microscopy technology mature to permit wide-scale clinical screening and detection of early cancers and precancerous lesions.     

Determination of the refractive index of a lens using the Murty shearing interferometer

An innovative nondestructive technique for measuring the refractive index of a simple lens is described. The proposed method is superior to existing ones because the focusing error and the spherical aberrations are reduced. Apart from this, the strength parameters (i.e., r1 and r2) of a lens are not required at all since the derived lens-index formula is independent of the lens's physical parameters. The shearing interferometric technique is a sensitive aid for detecting the focal plane of the test lens. A modified criterion for determining the focal length has been used. In this case two miscible liquids or compounds are not necessary. The well-known liquid immersion method is the particular case of this technique. The Murty shearing interferometer has been used as an optical device to observe the defocusing defect in the form of fringes. The amount of defocusing is easily calculated. An equation for this error has been theoretically deduced and experimentally verified. The technique described is quick to perform and easy in handling. The various effects due to the lens's aperture and aberrations, thickness of the glass cell, liquid column, etc. are also discussed. For N liquids, there are N(N - 1)/2 ways of calculating the lens's index. Owing to its nature this is termed the nondestructive nonmiscible-liquid immersion technique for index measurement of a lens.     

Formulation of light focusing through a plano-convex spherical lens in wave optics

Focusing of an incident light wave through a plano-convex spherical lens is discussed by calculating the light intensity distribution on the lens's optical axis after the incident wave is multiply scattered inside the lens. It is found that the size and location of the region into which the incident wave is focused are determined by two conditions. It is also found that it is possible for the wave to be focused into two such regions.     

二元平场透镜

讨论二元平场透镜的光学特性和象差。这种透镜不引入光焦度,当物体们我限远处孔径光阑与透镜重合时,不产生初级球差、彗差、轴用和轴外色差,但是它对场曲、畸变和轴上色差有贡献。给上用于校正双胶爱镜组的场曲的二元透镜实例。计算结果表明,二元透镜在平场光学系统中具有实用价值。     

Effect of rotation and translation on the expected benefit of an ideal method to correct the eye's higher-order aberrations

An ideal correcting method, such as a customized contact lens, laser refractive surgery, or adaptive optics, that corrects higher-order aberrations as well as defocus and astigmatism could improve vision. The benefit achieved with this ideal method will be limited by decentration. To estimate the significance of this potential limitation we studied the effect on image quality expected when an ideal correcting method translates or rotates with respect to the eye's pupil. Actual wave aberrations were obtained from ten human eyes for a 7.3-mm pupil with a Shack-Hartmann sensor. We computed the residual aberrations that appear as a result of translation or rotation of an otherwise ideal correction. The model is valid for adaptive optics, contact lenses, and phase plates, but it constitutes only a first approximation to the laser refractive surgery case where tissue removal occurs. Calculations suggest that the typical decentrations will reduce only slightly the optical benefits expected from an ideal correcting method. For typical decentrations the ideal correcting method offers a benefit in modulation 2-4 times higher (1.5-2 times in white light) than with a standard correction of defocus and astigmatism. We obtained analytical expressions that show the impact of translation and rotation on individual Zernike terms. These calculations also reveal which aberrations are most beneficial to correct. We provided practical rules to implement a selective correction depending on the amount of decentration. An experimental study was performed with an aberrated artificial eye corrected with an adaptive optics system, validating the theoretical predictions. The results in a keratoconic subject, also corrected with adaptive optics, showed that important benefits are obtained despite decentrations in highly aberrated eyes.     

用于投射式电子束曝光系统的磁浸没透镜的优化设计

以磁浸没透镜的电流密度值的大小为优化参量,以成像系统的轴上像散为目标函数,利用单纯形优化法对用于投射式电子束曝光系统的新型磁浸没透镜进行了优化设计.结果表明,目标函数由未经优化前的358.187nm降低到50.693nm.同时单纯形优化法不需要已知目标函数与优化参量之间的解析关系式及求导,因此作为电子光学系统的最优化设计具有明显的优越性.     

Effects of substrate birefringence on focusing and tracking servo signals in magneto-optical disk data storage

Using computer simulations based on the diffraction theory of high-N.A. systems, we examine the effects of substrate birefringence on servo signals in magneto-optical disk drives. Our attention is confined to systems that use the methods of push-pull tracking and astigmatic focus-error detection. We show that the amounts of birefringence typically observed in polycarbonate substrates do not in themselves cause problems for the servo channels. However, the presence of residual aberrations in the optical path (astigmatism in particular) can have devastating effects on the magnitude of the track-error signal and the stability of the focusing servo. We show that the combination of substrate birefringence and residual beam astigmatism can either improve or deteriorate the performance of the focusing servo, depending on the orientation of the aberration relative to the principal axes of the substrate.     

Study of process parameters on optical qualities for injection-molded plastic lenses

Numerical simulations for mold-flow analysis and experimental measurements of injection-molded plastic lenses have been conducted for investigation of optical qualities, residual birefringence, and form accuracy resulting from various pertinent process conditions. First, residual birefringence distributions on the lens have been predicted and verified experimentally. Furthermore, full-scale factorial design of experiments was conducted to comprehend the influences of qualities, such as shear stresses, form accuracy, and volumetric deviation, on the measured primary or Seidel aberrations. In conclusion, residual birefringence induced by stresses represented by photoelasticity measurements agrees well with the numerical predictions and the experimental results indicate that the residual birefringence is mainly generated during the mold-filling stage. In addition, spherical aberration of the injection-molded plastic lenses is more sensitive to the pertinent qualities as compared to coma and astigmatism.     

透镜主动光学的像差补偿性能

针对透射式投影物镜中由于不均匀照明产生的像散,提出了采用平面透镜作为主动光学元件以补偿像散的方法。本文对直径为Φ140mm,通光孔径为Φ120mm的平面透镜的支撑结构进行设计和有限元分析,分析了支撑结构的各个关键参数、镜片厚度和驱动力大小对面形的影响,得到了支撑结构的关键参数和驱动力对面形的影响规律为线性曲线,镜片厚度对面形的影响规律为指数下降曲线和不同驱动力导致的面形图。结果表明,本支撑结构在补偿像散时,面形补偿分辨率约为2nm,引入的高阶像差可以忽略,设计分析结果为投影物镜中主动光学镜片的选择和支撑结构的设计及实验提供依据。     

Image contrast in polarization microscopy of magneto-optical disk data-storage media through birefringent plastic substrates

Using polarized-light microscopy, we have investigated the magnetic domains of perpendicularly magnetized media under several different conditions, including direct observation of the thin-film magnetic layer and observations through the glass or plastic substrates on which the magnetic film was deposited. The results show that the image contrast is reduced with an increasing numerical aperture of the objective lens. They also indicate that the polarization rotation caused by differences between the reflectivity-transmissivity of the p and s components of polarization deteriorate the magnetic image contrast. Furthermore, by comparing the image quality using the same objective lens on samples having different substrates, we found that the images obtained through plastic substrates are worse than those obtained through glass substrates. Birefringence of the plastic substrate is shown to be responsible for the additional degradation of the image contrast.     

Frequency response characteristics of a birefringent lens with off-axis aberrations

We report the frequency response characteristics of an optical system consisting of a lens made of a uniaxial birefringent crystal sandwiched between two linear polarizers; the lens has prespecified off-axis aberrations such as primary astigmatism and primary coma. An analytical expression is obtained for the optical transfer function of the proposed system by use of the autocorrelation of the pupil function over the lens aperture. Some specific cases are computed and illustrated graphically. It has been shown that the proposed system has imaging characteristics distinctly different from those of an ordinary glass lens, and these may be advantageous for better balancing of aberrations in conventional imaging systems.     

Systematic design of an anastigmatic lens axicon

We present an analytical method for systematic optical design of a double-pass axicon that shows almost no astigmatism in oblique illumination compared to a conventional linear axicon. The anastigmatic axicon is a singlet lens with nearly concentric spherical surfaces applied in double pass, making it possible to form a long narrow focal line of uniform width. The front and the back surfaces have reflective coatings in the central and annular zones, respectively, to provide the double pass. Our design method finds the radii of curvatures and axial thickness of the lens for a given angle between the exiting rays and the optical axis. It also finds the optimal position of the reflecting zones for minimal vignetting. This method is based on ray tracing of the real rays at the marginal heights of the aperture and therefore is superior to any paraxial method. We illustrate the efficiency of the method by designing a test axicon with optical parameters used for a prototype axicon, which was manufactured and experimentally tested. We compare the optical characteristics of our test axicon with those of the experimental prototype.     

Modeling a variable-focus liquid-filled optical lens

Research has been conducted on a variable-focus liquid-filled optical lens built from a polymer elastic-film window and a rigid plastic window with a transparent refractive liquid between these windows. The pressure inside the lens deforms the elastic film, which takes the form of a paraboloid. The absolute value of the tension in the film was calculated, allowing theoretical evaluation of the focal length of the lens and its aberrations. The developed mathematical model of the liquid-filled flexible lens agrees well with experimental results.     

In vivo fiber-optic confocal reflectance microscope with an injection-molded plastic miniature objective lens

For in vivo optical diagnostic technologies to be distributed to the developed and developing worlds, optical imaging systems must be constructed of inexpensive components. We present a fiber-optic confocal reflectance microscope with a cost-effective injection-molded plastic miniature objective lens for in vivo imaging of human tissues in near real time. The measured lateral resolution is less than 2.2 microm, and the measured axial resolution is 10 microm. Confocal images of ex vivo cervical tissue biopsies and in vivo human lip taken at 15 frames/s demonstrate the microscope's capability of imaging cell morphology and tissue architecture.     

Design of an Optical Absorption Cavity for Titanium Transition Edge Sensors

We have developed a TES optical photon detector with a titanium superconducting film showing a very fast response with rise time and fall times of 30 ns and 313 ns, respectively. The fast response is promising for many quantum measurement applications. Increasing the quantum efficiency of this device from the current value of ∼20% makes the detector even more suitable for these applications. Here we report on simulation and experimental results of a cavity designed to improve optical photon absorption of titanium.     

Numerical analysis of astigmatism correction in gradient refractive index lens based optical coherence tomography catheters

Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) catheters comprise a transparent tube to separate the imaging instrument from tissues. This tube acts as a cylindrical lens, introducing astigmatism into the beam. In this report, we quantified this negative effect using optical simulations of OCT catheter devices, and discuss possible compensation strategies. For esophageal imaging, the astigmatism is aggravated by the long working distance. For intracoronary imaging, the beam quality is degraded due to the liquid imaging environment. A nearly circular beam profile can be achieved by a curved focusing optics. We also consider the method of matching refractive indices, and it is shown to successfully restore a round beam.     

Finite element plastic loads for circumferential cracked pipe bends under in-plane bending

This paper proposes plastic loads (limit load and twice-elastic-slope (TES) plastic load) for pipe bends with circumferential through-wall and part-through surface cracks under in-plane bending, based on three-dimensional FE limit analyses. The material is assumed to be elastic-perfectly plastic, and both the geometrically linear (small strain) and nonlinear (large geometry change) effects are considered. Regarding a crack location, both extrados and intrados cracks are considered. Based on the FE results, closed-form approximations of limit and TES plastic loads are proposed for practical applications, and compared with corresponding solutions for straight pipes.