Glasses for the correction of chromatic and thermal optical aberations for lenses transmitting in the near, mid, and far-infrared spectrums
AssigneeSchott AG
InventorNathan Aaron Carlie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to chalcogenide glass compositions for use in a lens system to balance thermal effects and chromatic effects and thereby provide an achromatic and athermal optical element that efficiently maintains achromatic performance across a broad temperature range. The glass composition is based on sulfur compounded with germanium, arsenic and/or gallium, and may further comprise halides of, for example, silver, zinc, or alkali metals. Alternatively, is based on selenium compounded with gallium, and preferably germanium, and contains chlorides and/or bromides of, for example, zinc, lead or alkali metals.
Claims34
In a night vision device comprising an infrared optical element, an image enhancer or intensifier, and a phosphor or fluorescent display, the improvement wherein said infrared optical element comprises a lens made from a chalcogenide glass composition consisting essentially of (based on mol % of total moles):
- Component
- Mole %
- S
- 70.00-75.00
- Ga
- 5.00-10.00
- Ge
- 20.00-25.00
- R1
- 0.00-5.00
- (added in the form of R1Hal)
- wherein
- Hal=fluoride, chloride, bromide, and/or iodide,
- R1=Li, Na, K, Rb, and/or Cs, and
- wherein a portion of the gallium can be replaced by indium.
In an infrared or thermal imaging system comprising an infrared optical element, a plurality of thermal sensors for detecting the infrared light and converting it into electrical signals, and a signal-processing unit for converting the electrical signals into a visual image, the improvement wherein said infrared optical element comprises a lens made from a chalcogenide glass composition consisting essentially of (based on mol % of total moles):
- Component
- Mole %
- S
- 70.00-75.00
- Ga
- 5.00-10.00
- Ge
- 20.00-25.00
- R1
- 0.00-5.00
- (added in the form of R1Hal)
- wherein
- Hal=fluoride, chloride, bromide, and/or iodide,
- R1=Li, Na, K, Rb, and/or Cs, and
- wherein a portion of the gallium can be replaced by indium.
A doublet lens comprising an infrared lens paired with a corrective lens wherein said infrared lens is made of ZnSe, ZnS, Ge, GaAs, BaF2, or chalcogenide glass, and said corrective lens is made from a chalcogenide glass composition consisting essentially of (based on mol % of total moles):
- Component
- Mole %
- S
- 70.00-75.00
- Ga
- 5.00-10.00
- Ge
- 20.00-25.00
- R1
- 0.00-5.00
- (added in the form of R1Hal)
- wherein
- Hal=fluoride, chloride, bromide, and/or iodide,
- R1=Li, Na, K, Rb, and/or Cs, and
- wherein a portion of the gallium can be replaced by indium.
An infrared lens system comprising a first infrared lens and a focal corrector doublet lens comprising a pair of corrective lenses, wherein said first infrared lens is made of ZnSe, ZnS, Ge, GaAs, BaF2, or chalcogenide glass, one of said pair of corrective lenses has a positive power and the other has a negative power, and at least one of said pair of corrective lens is made from a chalcogenide glass composition consisting essentially of (based on mol % of total moles):
- Component
- Mole %
- S
- 70.00-75.00
- Ga
- 5.00-10.00
- Ge
- 20.00-25.00
- R1
- 0.00-5.00
- (added in the form of R1Hal)
- wherein
- Hal=fluoride, chloride, bromide, and/or iodide,
- R1=Li, Na, K, Rb, and/or Cs, and
- wherein a portion of the gallium can be replaced by indium.
A chalcogenide glass comprising (based on mol % of total moles):
- Component
- Mole %
- S
- 58.00-90.00
- Ga
- 0-25.00
- As
- 0-40.0
- Ge
- 0-35.00
- R1
- 0-7.25
- (added in the form of R1Hal)
- R2
- 0-13.5
- (added in the form of R2Hal)
- M1
- 0-5
- (added in the form of M1Hal2)
- M2
- 0-7.25
- (added in the form of M2Hal2)
- Ln
- 0-4
- (added in the form of LnHal3)
- Sum of Ga, As, and Ge
- 10.00-42.00
- Sum of R1, R2, M1, M2, and Ln
- 0-16.00
- Sum of Hal
- 0-16.00
- wherein
- Hal=fluoride, chloride, bromide, and/or iodide,
- R1=Li, Na, K, Rb, and/or Cs,
- R2=Ag and/or Cu,
- M1=Mg, Ca, Sr, and/or Ba,
- M2=Zn, Cd, Hg, and/or Pb, and
- Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Ty, Lu, Y, and Sc;
- wherein a portion of the gallium can be replaced by indium, and wherein a portion of the arsenic can be replaced by antimony.
In a night vision device comprising an infrared optical element, an image enhancer or intensifier, and a phosphor or fluorescent display, the improvement wherein said infrared optical element comprises a lens made from A chalcogenide glass composition that transmits near-, mid-, and/or far-infrared light comprising sulfur compounded with germanium, arsenic and/or gallium, wherein all or a portion of gallium can be replaced by indium, and said composition optionally contains halides of silver, copper (Cu+1), cadmium, zinc, lead (Pb+2), alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or rare earth metals,
- wherein the total of the combined Ga and In content of said composition (based on mol % of total moles) 6.00-15.00 mol %, and the amount of Ge in said composition is 10.00-20.00 mol %.
In an infrared or thermal imaging system comprising an infrared optical element, a plurality of thermal sensors for detecting the infrared light and converting it into electrical signals, and a signal-processing unit for converting the electrical signals into a visual image, the improvement wherein said infrared optical element comprises a lens made from a chalcogenide glass composition that transmits near-, mid-, and/or far infrared light comprising sulfur compounded with germanium, arsenic and/or gallium, wherein all or a portion of gallium can be replaced by indium, and said composition optionally contains halides of silver, copper (Cu+1), cadmium, zinc, lead (Pb+2), alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or rare earth metals,
- wherein the total of the combined Ga and In content of said composition (based on mol % of total moles) 6.00-15.00 mol %, and the amount of Ge in said composition is 10.00-20.00 mol %.
A doublet lens comprising an infrared lens paired with a corrective lens wherein said infrared lens is made of ZnSe, ZnS, Ge, GaAs, BaF2, or chalcogenide glass, and said corrective lens is made from a chalcogenide glass composition that transmits near-, mid-, and/or far infrared light comprising sulfur compounded with germanium, arsenic and/or gallium, wherein all or a portion of gallium can be replaced by indium, and said composition optionally contains halides of silver, copper (Cu+1), cadmium, zinc, lead (Pb+2), alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or rare earth metals,
- wherein the total of the combined Ga and In content of said composition (based on mol % of total moles) 6.00-15.00 mol %, and the amount of Ge in said composition is 10.00-20.00 mol %.
An infrared lens system comprising a first infrared lens and a focal corrector doublet lens comprising a pair of corrective lenses, wherein said first infrared lens is made of ZnSe, ZnS, Ge, GaAs, BaF2, or chalcogenide glass, one of said pair of corrective lenses has a positive power and the other has a negative power, and at least one of said pair of corrective lens is made from a chalcogenide glass composition that transmits near-, mid-, and/or far infrared light comprising sulfur compounded with germanium, arsenic and/or gallium, wherein all or a portion of gallium can be replaced by indium, and said composition optionally contains halides of silver, copper (Cu+1), cadmium, zinc, lead (Pb+2), alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, or rare earth metals,
- wherein the total of the combined Ga and In content of said composition (based on mol % of total moles) 6.00-15.00 mol %, and the amount of Ge in said composition is 10.00-20.00 mol %.
A chalcogenide glass composition consisting essentially of (based on mol % of total moles):
- Component
- Mole %
- S
- 70.00-75.00
- Ga
- 5.00-10.00
- Ge
- 20.00-25.00
- R1
- 0.00-5.00
- (added in the form of R1Hal)
- wherein
- Hal=fluoride, chloride, bromide, and/or iodide,
- R1=Li, Na, K, Rb, and/or Cs, and
- wherein a portion of the gallium is replaced by indium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.