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Published on: April 22, 2013
Photographic optical systems with nonrotational aspheric surfaces
W T Plummer1, J G Baker, J Van Tassell
1Optical Engineering Department, Polaroid Corporation, 38 Henry Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Applied Optics
|March 6, 2008
Summary
Nonrotational aspheric surfaces enable focusing effects in optical systems. By rotating asymmetric refractive surfaces, satisfactory imaging is achieved for cameras over wide fields of view and apertures.
Area of Science:
- Optics and optical engineering
- Aspheric optics design
Background:
- Nonrotational aspheric surfaces offer unique optical properties.
- Traditional optical systems often face limitations in field of view, aperture, and chromatic correction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe image-forming objectives using asymmetric refractive surfaces.
- To demonstrate a focusing effect achieved through relative rotation of these surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing asymmetric pairs of refractive surfaces in optical objectives.
- Employing Taylor expansions around reference points to analyze surface shapes.
- Defining suitable coordinate systems for performance analysis.
Main Results:
- Achieved satisfactory focusing for imaging purposes.
- Demonstrated effectiveness over reasonable fields of view.
- Showcased practicability for various apertures and achromatic corrections.
Conclusions:
- Asymmetric refractive surfaces provide a viable method for achieving adjustable focusing.
- The described optical configurations are suitable for photographic and electronic camera applications.
- Taylor expansions are effective tools for relating optical performance to surface parameters.
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