Freeform-objective Chernin multipass cell: application of a freeform surface on assembly simplification

Area of Science:

• Optical engineering
• Freeform optics
• Optical system design

Background:

• Optical systems often involve multiple components, increasing assembly complexity and cost.
• Traditional optical designs require stringent tolerances, further complicating manufacturing and assembly.
• Chernin multipass cells are used in various optical applications but can be complex to assemble.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reduce the assembly difficulty and cost of optical systems with multiple components.
• To propose a strategy for substituting multiple separated surfaces with a single freeform surface.
• To demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy using a freeform-objective Chernin multipass cell.

Main Methods:

• A freeform surface was designed to replace multiple separated surfaces in an optical system.
• The freeform surface was represented using a 2D Gaussian radial basis function.
• A freeform-objective Chernin multipass cell was designed and simulated to validate the approach.

Main Results:

• Assembly tolerances were reduced from 24 to 4 degrees by integrating surfaces into a freeform design.
• The designed freeform-objective Chernin multipass cell demonstrated feasibility and performance.
• The cell has a base length of 0.2 m, volume < 0.8 L, and adjustable optical length of 0.4-34 m.

Conclusions:

• Integrating multiple optical surfaces into a single freeform surface is a viable strategy for simplifying assembly.
• This freeform optics approach significantly reduces assembly difficulty and cost.
• The developed freeform-objective Chernin multipass cell showcases the practical benefits of this methodology.