Design-for-manufacture, fabrication, and assembly of an all-reflective freeform microscope objective

All-reflective microscope objectives offer distinct advantages for microscopy techniques that operate across widely separated spectral bands. However, designing a high-numerical-aperture (NA), unobscured, all-reflective objective that is manufacturable remains a substantial challenge, requiring early integration of fabrication considerations into the optical design process. In this work, we present design-for-manufacture strategies for a 0.65-NA unobscured all-reflective microscope objective enabled by freeform optics. These strategies include minimizing freeform departures, desensitization optimization, and a stray-light analysis. Concepts for mounting and assembly are also introduced and implemented, culminating in the successful fabrication and imaging demonstration of the first system of its kind.