Depth of field extension with spherical optics
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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Demonstration of a Hyperlens-integrated Microscope and Super-resolution Imaging
Published on: September 8, 2017
1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA. pantazis.mouroulis@jpl.nasa.gov
Abstract:
The introduction of spherical aberration in a lens design can be used to extend the depth of field while preserving resolution up to half the maximum diffraction-limited spatial frequency. Two low-power microscope objectives are shown that achieve an extension of +/- 0.88 lambda in terms of wavefront error, which is shown to be comparable to alternative techniques but without the use of special phase elements. The lens performance is azimuth-independent and achromatic over the visible range.
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