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Focus tuning by liquid crystal lens in imaging system
Mao Ye1, Bin Wang, Masaru Uchida
1Akita Industrial Technology Center, Sanuki, Araya, Japan. maoye@ait.pref.akita.jp
Applied Optics
|November 7, 2012
Summary
Liquid crystal lenses enable precise focus tuning in imaging systems. This study shows liquid crystal lens focus tuning achieves resolving power comparable to camera modules.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Imaging Systems Engineering
Background:
- Traditional camera modules rely on mechanical components for focus adjustment.
- Liquid crystal lenses offer electronically controlled, continuous focusing capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess the focus tuning performance of a liquid crystal lens within a camera module.
- To evaluate the impact of liquid crystal lens focusing on the overall system's resolving capability.
Main Methods:
- An imaging system was constructed using a camera module and a liquid crystal lens.
- The resolving power was measured by analyzing images of an ISO12233 resolution chart.
- Focus tuning was performed using the liquid crystal lens.
Main Results:
- The imaging system demonstrated effective focus tuning via the liquid crystal lens.
- The resolving power achieved with the liquid crystal lens was found to be nearly equivalent to that of the camera module alone.
- Measurements confirmed the liquid crystal lens's capability to maintain high image resolution across focus adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Liquid crystal lenses are a viable technology for advanced focus tuning in imaging systems.
- The integration of liquid crystal lenses does not significantly compromise the resolving power of camera modules.
- Electronically controlled focus tuning using liquid crystal lenses offers a promising alternative to mechanical focusing mechanisms.
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