# US 10,120,112 B2 · Diffractive waveplate lenses for correcting aberrations and polarization-independent functionality

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- Number: US 10,120,112 B2
- Document ID: US10120112B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/688,256
- Filed: 2015-04-16
- Published: 2016-02-18
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-01-29
- Assignees: Beam Engineering for Advanced Measurements Co.; The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
- Applicants: Nelson V. Tabirian; David E. Roberts; Diane M. Steeves; Brian R. Kimball
- Inventors: Nelson V. Tabirian; David E. Roberts; Diane M. Steeves; Brian R. Kimball
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120112B2

## CPC

- G02B 5/1833: {comprising birefringent materials (birefringent elements per se G02B5/3083)}
- A61F 2/1618: {Multifocal lenses}
- A61F 2/1654: {Diffractive lenses}
- G02B 3/0081: {having one or more elements with analytic function to create variable power (variable magnification in general G02B15/00)}
- G02B 3/10: Bifocal lenses; Multifocal lenses
- G02B 5/001: {Axicons, waxicons, reflaxicons}
- G02B 5/1828: {having means for producing variable diffraction (controlling the direction of light by means of one or more diffracting elements G02B26/0808; acousto-optical elements G02F1/11, G02F1/33; electro- or magneto-optical diffraction G02F1/292, G02F1/2955)}
- G02B 5/3083: {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)}
- G02B 6/024: with polarisation maintaining properties
- G02B 6/3534: {the optical element being diffractive, i.e. a grating}
- G02B 6/3592: {Means for removing polarization dependence of the switching means, i.e. polarization insensitive switching (light guides coupling with polarization selective and adjusting means G02B6/27)}
- G02B 27/4205: {having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant}
- G02B 27/4211: {correcting chromatic aberrations (G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence)}
- G02B 27/4216: {correcting geometrical aberrations}
- G02B 27/4261: {having a diffractive element with major polarization dependent properties}
- G02C 7/022: {Ophthalmic lenses having special refractive features achieved by special materials or material structures (G02C7/049 takes precedence)}
- G02C 7/061: {Spectacle lenses with progressively varying focal power}
- G02C 7/086: {Auxiliary lenses located directly on a main spectacle lens or in the immediate vicinity of main spectacles}
- G02C 7/12: Polarisers
- G02C 7/10: Filters, e.g. for facilitating adaptation of the eyes to the dark; Sunglasses
- G02C 2202/16: Laminated or compound lenses
- G02C 2202/20: Diffractive and Fresnel lenses or lens portions
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00)

## Abstract

Diffractive waveplate lenses, devices, systems and methods of fabricating and manufacturing lenses for correcting spherical and chromatic aberrations of diffractive waveplate lenses and refractive lenses, by using nonlinear patterning of anisotropy axis of birefringent layers comprising the diffractive waveplate lenses, and their combinations and for obtaining polarization-independent functionality of diffractive waveplate lenses.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film, comprising:
an optical substrate; and
at least one birefringent material layer deposited on said optical substrate, an optical axis orientation angle of said at least one birefringent material layer being a nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in a plane of said at least one birefringent material layer such that an optical radiation transmitted through said at least one birefringent material and said optical substrate is focused to one of a point in space and a line segment in space with no spherical aberrations.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 1, wherein the at least one birefringent material layer includes at least two birefringent material layers, wherein the nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in the plane of said at least one birefringent material layer of the optical axis orientation angle is different for the at least two birefringent material layers allowing to control at least one of: effective focal length, spherical aberrations and spectrum of diffraction efficiency of the spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 2, wherein coverage areas of the at least two birefringent material layers on said optical substrate are different allowing to control at least one of: distribution of focusing power, diffraction efficiency spectrum and aberration of the spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film over an area of the spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The spherical aberration corrected diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 3 wherein the at least one birefringent material layer is selected based on at least one of the nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in the plane of said at least one birefringent material layer of the optical axis orientation angle and sizes of said at least one birefringent material layer to provide progressively varying focusing power of said at least one birefringent material layer over said optical substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spherical aberration diffractive waveplate lens optical film as in claim 1 wherein full-wave phase retardation of said at least one birefringent material layer is selected to provide for no diffraction efficiency for a predetermined wavelength or range of wavelengths.

### Claim 6

An optical system comprising:
two or more diffractive waveplate lenses positioned at a predetermined distances from each other, the two or more diffractive waveplate lenses including an optical substrate with at least one birefringent material layer deposited on said optical substrate, an optical axis orientation angle of said at least one birefringent material layer being a nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in a plane of said at least one birefringent material layer such that the optical radiation transmitted through said at least one birefringent material and said optical substrate is focused to one of a point in space and a line segment in space with no spherical aberrations.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The optical system of claim 6 wherein said position of the at least two diffractive waveplate lenses diffracts polarized light to a same point focus or a line focus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The optical system of claim 7 wherein said position of the at least two diffractive waveplate lenses diffracts light of any polarization to the same point focus or the line focus such that an effective focal length of the optical system is the same for light of any polarization.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The optical system of claim 8 further comprising:
a refractive imaging system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The optical system as in claim 9 wherein both a spherical and a chromatic aberration of said refractive imaging system are corrected.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The optical system as in claim 9 further comprising a light source.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The optical system as in claim 11 wherein a predetermined portion of a light power provided by said light source is focused.

### Claim 13

An optical device for imaging, communication and solar concentrator applications comprising:
a flat mirror;
a quarter-wave phase retarder film deposited on said mirror; and
a diffractive waveplate lens deposited on said quarter-wave phase retarder film, the diffractive waveplate lens including an optical substrate with at least one birefringent material layer deposited on said optical substrate, an optical axis orientation angle of said at least one birefringent material layer being a nonlinear function of Cartesian coordinates in a plane of said at least one birefringent material layer such that an optical radiation transmitted through said at least one birefringent material and the optical substrate is focused to one of a point in space and a line segment in space with no spherical aberrations.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The optical device as in claim 13 wherein the flat mirror, the quarter-wave phase retarder film and the diffractive waveplate lens are broadband.