VIS-NIR superachromatic triplet design with five-color correction for a broadband interferometer

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Applied Physics

Background:

• Conventional lens systems achieve limited color correction, typically k+1 colors with k lenses.
• Minimizing chromatic aberration is crucial for high-performance imaging systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a superachromat lens with five-color correction over a 600-1600 nm waveband.
• To achieve an unprecedentedly small chromatic focal shift (1/100,000 of focal length).

Main Methods:

• Derived lens power conditions using the Buchdahl dispersion equation.
• Developed a metric and correction method to enhance refractive index fitting accuracy to ~10^-7.
• Iteratively searched a glass library and optimized designs using Opticstudio.

Main Results:

• Designed a three-lens superachromat achieving five-color correction.
• Minimized chromatic focal shift to within 1/100,000 of the focal length.
• Achieved diffraction-limited performance within a 0.05° field of view.

Conclusions:

• Established a theoretical basis for designing broadband superachromats with k+2 color correction using k lenses.
• Developed a broadband interferometer based on the new design principles.