Compact non-mechanical zoom lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018129018-A1
Application number	US-201615561288-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 26, 2015
Publication date	May 10, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical magnification system comprises two Pancharatnam lenses, and provides a first magnification for left-hand circularly polarized light and a second magnification different from the first magnification for right-hand circularly polarized light. An optical magnification system comprises two lenses, each having different focal lengths for left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized light, respectively, and configured to provide a first magnification for left-handed circularly polarized light and a second magnification different from the first magnification for right-handed circularly polarized light.

First claim

1 . An optical magnification system comprising:
a first composite lens comprising a first Pancharatnam lens and a first polarization-independent lens; and a second composite lens comprising a second Pancharatnam lens and a second polarization-independent lens; wherein the first composite lens is arranged to output light into the second composite lens.

2 . The optical magnification system of claim 1 wherein the first composite lens and the second composite lens are identical lenses.

3 . The optical magnification system of claim 1 wherein:
the first composite lens has a positive focal length f + for circularly polarized light of a first handedness and a negative focal length of magnitude f − for circularly polarized light of a second handedness opposite the first handedness; and
the second composite lens has the positive focal length f + for circularly polarized light of the first handedness and the negative focal length of magnitude f − for circularly polarized light of the second handedness.

4 . The optical magnification system of claim 3 wherein the first and second composite lenses are spaced apart by a distance f + −f − .

5 . The optical magnification system of claim 1 wherein the optical magnification system is a static system that does not include any electrical or mechanical inputs.

6 . The optical magnification system of claim 1 wherein the optical magnification system has a total thickness of 1.0 cm or less and has an f-number of 2 or lower.

7 . The optical magnification system of claim 1 wherein the optical magnification system has a total thickness of 5.0 mm or less and has an f-number of 2 or lower.

8 . A zoom system comprising:
an optical magnification system as set forth in claim 1 ; and an electro-optic polarization element or sub-system configured to input circularly polarized light to the first composite lens of the optical magnification system; wherein the electro-optic polarization element or sub-system is configured to electrically switch the circularly polarized light between left-handedness and right-handedness.

9 . The zoom system of claim 8 further comprising:
a spectral bandpass filter.

10 . An optical magnification system comprising:
a first lens having a positive focal length f + for circularly polarized light of a first handedness and a negative focal length of magnitude f − for circularly polarized light of a second handedness opposite the first handedness; and a second lens having a positive focal length f + for circularly polarized light of the first handedness and a negative focal length of magnitude f − for circularly polarized light of the second handedness; wherein the first lens is arranged to output into the second lens.

11 . The optical magnification system of claim 10 wherein the first and second lenses are spaced apart by a distance f + −f − .

12 . The optical magnification system of claim 10 wherein:
the first lens includes a Pancharatnam lens; and
the second lens includes a Pancharatnam lens.

13 . The optical magnification system of claim 12 wherein:
the first lens is a composite lens including at least one additional lens in addition to the Pancharatnam lens; and
the second lens is a composite lens including at least one additional lens in addition to the Pancharatnam lens.

14 . The optical magnification system of claim 12 wherein:
the Pancharatnam lens of the first lens has focal length of magnitude f pan ;
the Pancharatnam lens of the second lens has focal length of magnitude f pan ;
the first lens further includes a polarization-independent lens having negative focal length of magnitude f g ; and
the second lens further includes a polarization-independent lens having negative focal length of magnitude f g .

15 . The optical magnification system of claim 14 wherein:
the first lens is a composite lens in which the Pancharatnam lens and the polarization-independent lens are bonded together;
the second lens is a composite lens in which the Pancharatnam lens and the polarization-independent lens are bonded together; and

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16 . The optical magnification system of claim 10 wherein the optical magnification system has no moving parts.

17 . The optical magnification system of claim 10 wherein the optical magnification system has no electrical inputs for applying an electrical bias to the optical magnification train.

18 . A zoom apparatus comprising:
an optical magnification system as set forth in claim 10 ; and an electro-optic polarization element or sub-system configured to input circularly polarized light to the first lens of the optical magnification system; wherein the electro-optic polarization element or sub-system is configured to electrically switch the circularly polarized light between left-handedness and right-handedness.

19 . The zoom apparatus of claim 18 further comprising:
a spectral bandpass filter.

20 . The zoom apparatus of claim 18 wherein the zoom apparatus has a total thickness of 1.0 cm or less and has an f-number of 2 or lower.

21 . The optical magnification system of claim 18 wherein the zoom apparatus has a total thickness of 5.0 mm or less and has an f-number of 2 or lower.

22 . An optical magnification system comprising:
a first composite lens including (i) a polarization-dependent lens that switches from a positive focal length for circularly polarized light of a first handedness to a negative focal length for circularly polarized light of a second handedness opposite the first handedness and (ii) a polarization-independent lens; and a second composite lens including (i) a polarization-dependent lens that swit

Assignees

• Univ Kent State Ohio
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Cheng Hsien-Hui
• Bos Philip
• Bhowmik Achintya

Classifications

• G02B27/286

  for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another (G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34) · CPC title

• G02B5/3008

  comprising dielectric particles, e.g. birefringent crystals embedded in a matrix · CPC title

• G02B13/009 Primary

  having zoom function · CPC title

• G02B5/3083

  Birefringent or phase retarding elements (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001) · CPC title