Tunable fluidic lens with a dynamic high-order aberration control

Abstract

Fluidic lenses based on electrowetting actuation are attractive for their wide focal tuning range, yet are limited by optical aberrations, either intrinsic to the lenses themselves or due to the optical imaging systems in which they are employed. However, the ability to control the meniscus shape that forms the lens refractive surface with a high degree of spatial accuracy will allow correction of and compensation for a wide range of these aberrations. We demonstrate here for what we believe, to the best of our knowledge, is the first time a tunable optofluidic lens controlled by 32 azimuthally placed electrodes for which most aberrations up to the fourth radial Zernike order may be corrected. Using both wavefront sensing and sensorless wavefront estimation techniques, it is shown that focal length tunability with a significant reduction in imaging aberrations and the ability to compensate for externally induced aberrations may be achieved using a single component.

Non-aqueous organic solution based on a large-aperture spherical electrowetting liquid lens with a wide tunable focal length range

“…The water system is an aqueous electrolyte solution with water as the solvent. [37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] The mixed system is a compound of water and a non-aqueous solvent, which shows certain non-aqueous properties, and most of the dissolved solutes are common metal cation electrolytes. 33,36,47 The non-aqueous system is completely a compound of a nonaqueous organic solvent, and the solute usually contains some special organic electrolytes.…”

“…48,49 At present, almost all the conductive liquids used in electrowetting liquid lenses contain water, and most of them are aqueous solutions. [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] A few studies use other polar solutions, such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, propylene carbonate, etc. Sometimes some electrolytes are added to improve the conductivity of the conductive liquid.…”

“…Optical oils, such as silicone oil, germanium oil, or laser liquid, have been used as an insulating liquid. 38,42,43 It is also important to form a high refractive index difference and density match between the conductive and insulating liquids. When the pure substance cannot meet the requirements, researchers use alkane mixed with other substances as an insulating liquid.…”

Design of an all-liquid anamorphic imaging device

“…Recent work on electrowetting-on-dielectrics (EWOD) tunable lenses with increased electrode numbers have shown the ability to produce surfaces with great shape variability, including double-plane symmetric surfaces [6,7]. Based on these concepts, we demonstrate that a completely fluidic anamorphic system may be realized and propose a design for an anamorphic imaging device using two EWOD tunable liquid lenses within a single device.…”

Simultaneous beam steering and shaping using a single-interface optofluidic component

“…By applying different voltages to the electrode segments embedded in the foil, the liquid interface may be shaped as, for example, a tilted plane. The device configuration here differs from the lens-configuration used in earlier work 29 in that the aqueous and oil phases are interchanged, so the glass substrate incorporating the ground electrode is located on the side of the light source. This arrangement allows for a beam path that is completely unobstructed by the ground electrode, even at high beam deflection angles.…”