Methods and apparatus for creating an aspheric optical element and the aspheric optical elements formed thereby

An apparatus for coating a combiner substrate to create an aspheric combiner, the apparatus comprising:

• a mask which defines an opening having a shape which varies in at least one radial direction;
• a fixture for holding said mask and the combiner substrate in an aligned relation such that a portion of the combiner substrate is exposed through the opening defined by said mask;
• rotation means, operably connected to said fixture, for rotating at least one of said mask and the combiner substrate to create a relative rotation between said mask and the combiner substrate;
• and
• deposition means for depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the combiner substrate exposed by the opening defined by said mask while said rotation means creates the relative rotation between said mask and the combiner substrate, wherein the aspheric dielectric layer deposited by said deposition means has a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by said mask to thereby create an aspheric combiner.

An aspheric combiner comprising:

• a combiner substrate having a first surface with a first shape;
• an aspheric dielectric layer disposed on the first surface of said combiner substrate, wherein said aspheric dielectric layer has a thickness which varies in a radial direction to thereby create a second surface with a second shape, different than the first shape;
• and
• a reflection coating disposed on the second surface of said aspheric dielectric layer, wherein said reflection coating is comprised of at least one dielectric layer which at least partially reflects light having a wavelength within a range of wavelengths.

A method of coating an optical substrate to create an aspheric optical element, the method comprising the steps of:

• positioning a mask in an aligned relation with the optical substrate, wherein the mask defines an opening having a shape through which a portion of the optical substrate is exposed;
• rotating at least one of the mask and the optical substrate to create a relative rotation between the mask and the optical substrate;
• and
• depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the optical substrate exposed by the opening defined by the mask while the mask and the optical substrate continue their relative rotation, wherein said depositing step comprises depositing an aspheric dielectric layer having a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by the mask to thereby create an aspheric optical element.

An apparatus for coating an optical substrate to create an aspheric optical element, the apparatus comprising:

• a mask which defines an opening having a shape which varies in at least one radial direction;
• a fixture for holding said mask and the optical substrate in an aligned relation such that a portion of the optical substrate is exposed through the opening defined by said mask;
• rotation means, operably connected to said fixture, for rotating at least one of said mask and the optical substrate to create a relative rotation between said mask and the optical substrate;
• and
• deposition means for depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the optical substrate exposed by the opening defined by said mask while said rotation means creates the relative rotation between said mask and the optical substrate, wherein the aspheric dielectric layer deposited by said deposition means has a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by said mask to thereby create an aspheric optical element.

An aspheric optical element fabricated according to a coating process comprising the steps of:

• positioning a mask in an aligned relation with an optical substrate, wherein the mask defines an opening having a shape through which a portion of the optical substrate is exposed;
• rotating at least one of the mask and the optical substrate to create a relative rotation between the mask and the optical substrate;
• and
• depositing an aspheric dielectric layer on the portion of the optical substrate exposed by the opening defined by the mask while the mask and the optical substrate continue their relative rotation, wherein said depositing step comprises depositing an aspheric dielectric layer having a thickness which varies in a radial direction in correspondence to the shape of the opening defined by the mask to thereby create an aspheric optical element.