Chromatic analysis and design of a first-order radial GRIN lens

From the expression for optical power of a radial first-order graded-index (GRIN) lens with curved surfaces, we derive an expression for chromatic aberration. Our expressions for optical power and chromatic aberration are valid under the paraxial approximation. By applying a series of further simplifying assumptions, namely a thin lens and thin GRIN, we derive a set of equations with which one can design an achromatic GRIN lens. We also derive expressions for the dispersive property of a GRIN element. Our analysis enables us to derive the relationship between material pairs that indicate their suitability as a material pair for a GRIN achromat. We use this relationship to search a standard glass catalog for attractive GRIN material pairs for a particular achromat design. We compare the optical performance of our GRIN design to that of a conventional homogeneous doublet and demonstrate that our approach is capable of identifying material pairs that perform well for achromatic GRIN lenses which would not generally be considered for conventional achromatic design. We also demonstrate our approach is capable of designing GRIN achromats with superior performance.