Electrically tunable soft solid lens inspired by reptile and bird accommodation.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Electrically tunable lenses offer motor-free focus adjustment but require large deformations for broad tuning ranges.
• Existing technologies for actuating stretchable lenses are limited, hindering the development of lenses with significant tuning capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel configuration for compact tunable lenses fabricated entirely from soft elastomers.
• To leverage dielectric elastomer actuation (DEA) combined with a biomimetic design for enhanced lens performance.

Main Methods:

• An annular DEA was employed to induce radial deformation in a central solid-body silicone lens.
• The tunable lens was constructed using an acrylic elastomer membrane and a silicone lens via a straightforward fabrication process.

Main Results:

• The developed tunable lens demonstrated focal length variations of up to 55%.
• The actuator, four times the size of the lens, required driving voltages half those of comparable DEA-based liquid lenses.
• The soft-matter lens design offers simplified fabrication and greater design versatility compared to liquid-filled counterparts.

Conclusions:

• The novel soft-matter tunable lens architecture provides significant focal length variation with reduced power consumption and voltage requirements.
• This technology presents a promising alternative for applications demanding compact, lightweight, and robust adaptive optical components with silent operation and shock tolerance.