An improved low-optical-power variable focus lens with a large aperture

Abstract

We report an improved method of fabricating a variable focus lens in which an in-plane pretension force is applied to a membrane. This method realized a lens with a large optical aperture and high performance in a low-optical-power region. The method was verified by comparing membranes in a simulation using the finite element method. A prototype with a 26 mm-diameter aperture was fabricated, and the wavefront behavior was measured by using a Shack-Hartmann sensor. Thanks to the in-plane pretension force, the lens achieved an infinite focal length with a wavefront error of 105.1 nm root mean square.

A pair of diopter-adjustable eyeglasses for presbyopia correction

“…We calculated the optical power of our prototype lens based on the structure of its liquid-membrane-liquid 22,23 . The infused liquids are glycerin (refractive index of 1.47, density of 1.25 g/cm 3 ) and santolight5267 (refractive index of 1.67, density of 1.26 g/cm 3 ).…”

“…The transparent glasses are just safety goggles, without diopter power. The variable focus lenses 22,23 are fixed on an optic platform; their aperture is 26mm. The user wears the transparent glasses and put his head right behind the variable focus lenses and look through as they would do in a standard ophthalmic test.…”

A liquid progressive multifocal lens adjusted by the deformation of a non-uniform elastic membrane due to the variation of liquid pressure

“…Besides, many kinds of liquid-filled lens with different actuators or control strategies were also designed in recent years, furthermore, the liquid tunable aspherical lenses are formed by liquid sealed with a non-uniform thickness membrane which could alleviate the edge clamping effect and reduce spherical aberration [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. In order to decrease the influence of gravity to the performance of liquid lens, one of a method is using an in-plane pretention force to a membrane to take the place of surface tension and the other is using a non-uniform thickness profile of the flexible membrane [16,17]. However, one of the common disadvantages of these liquid-filled lenses is that the focus could be adjusted in one region or only have one focus.…”

An adaptive achromatic doublet design by double variable focus lenses

“…Traditionally, lenses are processed by glasses, polycarbonate and plastic, so they have constant properties due to the inflexible shape. A variable focus lens is a novel development, such as liquid-filled lens, where a single lens cell controls its optical power by manipulating the curvature of the refractive surface [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] . The liquid inside plays a role as a transmit media and its properties, such as refractive index and abbe number, behaves as the lens parameters.…”

“…The variable focus lens will have a large optical aperture and the structure is based on a liquid-membrane-liquid structure 12,13 . The two variable focus lenses will adopt different liquids so that two lenses will perform as low and high dispersion prosperities.…”