Bioinspired adaptive gradient refractive index distribution lens

Kezhen Yin; Chuan-Yar Lai; Jia Wang; Shanzuo Ji; James Aldridge; Jingxing Feng; Andrew Olah; Eric Baer; Michael Ponting

doi:10.1117/1.OE.57.2.027101

12 February 2018 Bioinspired adaptive gradient refractive index distribution lens

Kezhen Yin, Chuan-Yar Lai, Jia Wang, Shanzuo Ji, James Aldridge, Jingxing Feng, Andrew Olah, Eric Baer, Michael Ponting

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 57, Issue 2, 027101 (February 2018). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.57.2.027101

Abstract

Inspired by the soft, deformable human eye lens, a synthetic polymer gradient refractive index distribution (GRIN) lens with an adaptive geometry and focal power has been demonstrated via multilayer coextrusion and thermoforming of nanolayered elastomeric polymer films. A set of 30 polymer nanolayered films comprised of two thermoplastic polyurethanes having a refractive index difference of 0.05 were coextruded via forced-assembly technique. The set of 30 nanolayered polymer films exhibited transmission near 90% with each film varying in refractive index by 0.0017. An adaptive GRIN lens was fabricated from a laminated stack of the variable refractive index films with a 0.05 spherical GRIN. This lens was subsequently deformed by mechanical ring compression of the lens. Variation in the optical properties of the deformable GRIN lens was determined, including 20% variation in focal length and reduced spherical aberration. These properties were measured and compared to simulated results by placido-cone topography and ANSYS methods. The demonstration of a solid-state, dynamic focal length, GRIN lens with improved aberration correction was discussed relative to the potential future use in implantable devices.

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Kezhen Yin, Chuan-Yar Lai, Jia Wang, Shanzuo Ji, James Aldridge, Jingxing Feng, Andrew Olah, Eric Baer, and Michael Ponting "Bioinspired adaptive gradient refractive index distribution lens," Optical Engineering 57(2), 027101 (12 February 2018). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.57.2.027101

Received: 29 August 2017; Accepted: 16 January 2018; Published: 12 February 2018

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