Improved four-mirror anastigmatic telescope

Abstract

The invention relates to an anastigmat telescope (10) comprising four consecutive mirrors, respectively named first mirror M1, second mirror M2, third mirror M3 and fourth mirror M4, forming an optical assembly called 4MA, said telescope having an optical axis (OA), an entrance pupil (Pe) disposed at a distance pe from the first mirror and an exit pupil (Ps), image of the entrance pupil by said telescope, and disposed at a distance ps from the fourth mirror, a focal length (F) and a global focal plane (PF), said four consecutive mirrors M1, M2, M3 and M4 having respectively vergences V1, V2, V3 and V4 having values ​​equal to a first quadruplet or a second quadruplet determined from analytical formulas.

Description

Title of invention: Improved four-mirror anastigmatic telescope FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of telescopes and more particularly to that of anastigmatized telescopes with 4 mirrors. The present invention allows the determination of the parameters of the different mirrors from the specifications of the instrument integrating a position of the exit pupil. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] A known type of high-resolution operating telescope is the so-called TMA telescope (acronym for the English expression "Three Mirrors Anastigmate") which is an anastigmat telescope with three aspherical mirrors. This type of telescope is calculated from the Korsch equations well known to those skilled in the art. A particular solution of these equations, well known to those skilled in the art, is a telescope commonly called Korsch. This telescope has three mirrors of the Concave (Ml) - Convex (M2) - Concave (M3) type. Each mirror is characterized by at least two parameters, a radius of curvature R (or a vergence V equal to 2 / R) and a conicity k. The optical system has an entrance pupil, an optical axis defined by the ray passing through the center of the entrance pupil and perpendicular to this pupil, the entrance pupil generally being arranged at the level of the first mirror, and an exit pupil. These concepts are well known to those skilled in the art.In the Korsch telescope, the three mirrors are arranged so that the first mirror and the second mirror form an intermediate image of an object at infinity, located between the second mirror and the third mirror, the third mirror forming from this intermediate image a final image in the focal plane of the telescope in which a detector is placed. By applying the Korsch equations, the respective parameters of the three mirrors can be easily calculated. The theoretical solution is of very good quality, which is the whole point of this type of telescope.

[0003] The theoretical solution is calculated on the axis, that is to say that the central / average radius of the field of view is merged with the optical axis and does not take into account the physical size of the mirrors. In order for the light to pass through the combination, three classic methods can be combined: adding tilt of the mirrors, adding an off-axis pupil / field and the use of deflecting mirrors.

[0004] We also know the telescope (or imager imaging an object at infinity, hereinafter simply called imager) of the Korsch type with 4 mirrors or 4MA, of which the optical combination is calculated from the Korch equations generalized to n mirrors with n=4. Due to the additional mirror, we recover a degree of freedom for the design of the system.

[0005] In his book "Reflective Optics" (Academie Press 1987) D. Korsch presents a mathematical formalism allowing in multi-mirror systems to express the main optical aberrations, called Seidel (spherical aberration, coma, astigmatism, field curvature, distortion) as a function of simple parameters such as the distance between the mirrors, the distance of the objects and images and the ratio of the heights of the rays. This simple and effective formalism allows to find aplanatic and anastigmatic multi-mirror systems and respecting the Petzval constraint, by solving a few equations.

[0006] We call:

[0007] -M10, M20, M30 and M40 the four mirrors of the Korsch imager,

[0008] -el, e2, e3 the distances between respectively the first and the second, the second and the third, the third and the fourth mirror,

[0009] -e4 the distance between the fourth mirror and the focal plane PF0,

[0010] -F0 the focal length.

[0011] Korsch's equations are based on a perturbative approach: solving an approximation to order one, which gives the curvatures, then to order three, which gives the conicity constants (order two is solved by the symmetry of revolution of the system). The resolution of the curvatures leads to non-linear systems, which have several solutions (the "branches" see below).

[0012] The optical design of a 4MA imager based on the generalized Korsch equations is therefore carried out in several stages:

[0013] In a first step, the radii of curvature (R2, R3, R4) are determined using the first-order Korsch equations, and from the set of distances (e1, e2, e3, e4), the focal length F0 and the curvature RI of the mirror M1. In fact, the Korsch equations use the magnifications as variables, from which the curvatures are deduced. The system has one degree of freedom and therefore the value of a radius of curvature is chosen, for example RL

[0014] In a second step, based on the third-order Korsch equations, the mirrors are "aspherized" by calculating the conicities kl, k2, k3 and k4 so as to compensate for the four Seidel aberrations (spherical aberration W040, coma W131, astigmatism W222, distortion W311). Due to the existence of "branches", it is necessary to calculate a set of aspheric corrections per set of equations.

[0015] Korsch's equations only allow for a solution to be found "on the axis". It is then necessary to remove the obscuration and compensate for the aberrations introduced by this step.

[0016] Thus in a third step the aforementioned methods are applied so that the light can pass into the system ("tilt" and / or "of axis" and / or deflecting mirror(s)). This third step induces new aberrations in the system.

[0017] In a fourth optional step, these additional aberrations are minimized by allowing at least one of the mirrors to have a so-called "free form" surface (approach using Zernike polynomials). The optimization is carried out in a conventional manner using optical calculation software (CodeV, Zemax, Oslo, etc.). These software programs operate on the principle of minimizing an error function. Typically, the error function includes the image quality at the focal plane according to a predetermined criterion. The predetermined criterion consists, for example, of minimizing a waveform error or WFE for "Wave Front Error" in English, averaged over a plurality of points in the field, well known to those skilled in the art. Typically, the aim is to minimize the root mean square value or WFE RMS.

[0018] There are two types of optical system or 4MA imager characterized by the position of the exit pupil. Pe is called the entrance pupil and pe the distance between the entrance pupil PE and M10, and Ps the exit pupil with ps the distance between the fourth mirror and the exit pupil PS.

[0019] A so-called telecentric imager, called 4MATC, has an exit pupil Ps at infinity (Ps = °°). Such an imager 20 calculated with the generalized Korsch equations is illustrated [Fig.l]. The 4MATC imager is for example used in combination with a spectrometer to form a spectro-imager. The telecentricity constraint ensures a parallel arrival of the rays at the end of the imager, allowing passage through a slit, the source of the spectrometer.

[0020] The second type of imager, called 4MAPSF, has an exit pupil Ps at a finite distance (Ps < °°). Such an imager 30 calculated with the generalized Korsch equations is illustrated [Fig.2]. The 4MAPSF imager is used for example for imagers operating in the infrared domain where the focal plane (in which the detector is positioned) must be cooled. For this purpose, it is placed in a compartment Comp in order to isolate and / or actively cool it: the porthole of the latter lets the light flux pass and then materializes the exit pupil of the system. The mirrors M30 and M40 are inclined at angles t3 and t4 respectively so that the light can propagate.

[0021] To date, the generalized Korsch equations allow the calculation of a set of four mirror curvatures on the optical axis, with the following predetermined starting parameters: a set of distances (e1, e2, e3, e4), a focal length F0, the Petzval constraint and the radius of curvature RI of the first mirror ML. This calculation does not take into account the exit pupil constraint. In other words, the position of the exit pupil is not an input parameter of the system.

[0022] The exit pupil is the image of the entrance pupil by the system, and in fact is calculated directly from the curvatures, the inter-mirror distances, and the distance between the entrance pupil and the first mirror of the system (noted pe).

[0023] In the framework of the Korsch equations for 4MA, according to the state of the art when opticians want to place an exit pupil PS at a given position, they start by calculating a system, then position the entrance pupil PE so that the system sends PE to the position chosen for PS.

[0024] For a 4-mirror system, the system is not completely closed: an internal degree of freedom exists, creating a continuum of solutions indexed by this parameter.

[0025] According to one example, a parameter is chosen, for example RI, radius of curvature of the first mirror, as a parameter indexing the continuum of the solutions of the Korsch equations. The value of RI is varied and the position of the exit pupil obtained is looked at, seeking the desired value. The distance constraint between the exit pupil and the focal plane is not a direct solution of the Korsch equations.

[0026] The numerical implementation of these empirical methods comes up against the non-convex nature of the problem (there may be local minima) and the non-defined nature everywhere (existence of discontinuities). The numerical resolution is difficult because it is sensitive to initialization, expensive in computation time, and without any certainty of convergence. In addition, it is necessary to have a high precision in the estimation of the RI parameter because the system is very sensitive to it: a small error in the estimation of the input parameter leads to a large error in the position of the exit pupil.

[0027] Thus these methods have three weak points: precision, computational cost and the lack of guarantee of finding a solution. They therefore do not constitute reliable numerical optimization but are of the trial and error type, or "brute force" in English.

[0028] The publication by Papa et al “Survey of four-mirror freeform imager solution space”, Optics Express, vol 29 (December 2021) illustrates the design of a 4MA type system and the associated degree of freedom. In paragraph 3.1 of this publication the authors present a formula for creating a 4MA type telescope of order 1, which corresponds to the values ​​of vergences of the mirrors, given a “power” of the first mirror, a target focal length, inter-mirror distances, and a distance to the focal plane. This power of the first mirror is the degree of freedom which is here fixed by the value of VI to calculate the combination of the telescope.

[0029] Thus the first step of the optical design of a 4MA telescope from the Korsch equations, aiming to determine the radii of curvature on the axis of the four mirrors, from the distances el to e4 and a predetermined focal length, does not allow a correct numerical optimization with the additional constraint of predetermined values ​​of distance of the entrance pupil pe and exit pupil ps.

[0030] An aim of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a four-mirror telescope whose mirrors have curvatures on the axis which verify relationships having been established in an original manner, taking into account the double constraint of fixed entrance and exit pupils, which does not exist in the state of the art. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] The present invention relates to an anastigmatic telescope comprising four consecutive mirrors, respectively called first mirror Mb, second mirror M2, third mirror M3 and fourth mirror M4, forming an optical assembly called 4MA, said telescope having an optical axis, an entrance pupil arranged at a distance pe from the first mirror and an exit pupil, image of the entrance pupil by said telescope, and arranged at a distance ps from the fourth mirror, a focal length and an overall focal plane,

[0032] said four consecutive mirrors Mb M2, M3 and M4 respectively having vergences Vb V2, V3 and V4 having values ​​equal to a first quadruplet ( ^2' V4 ) or to a second quadruplet ( V4 ) determined at from the formulas below:

[0033] . - / 3±^j2-4a6

[0034] y± _ «()+«! 3 “

[0035] y± _______________ 1 e) +e>e3( V2+ Vj) 1*2^3^2^3

[0036] y±= _(^+y|+vf)

[0037] With:

[0038] a = ^ , (ap+^+cp^ \ b = - -—3— for pK < - \ *■* he / b- - ( 7 + ap^ for ps - °° =- ô (¾ 4 F $3 h Of) ~ 1: ; (fig f ¢3), Aï = -(¾ (eI 4- (¾) : A •■■■ Pu™ 4- <Kgj - / -03 / / )(^4(3¾ - / - (¾) —' ,3| (o.....1)~ — -F #.¾ - / -(43), pj =::3^33:44^43 4-(443(-^(5^¾^ ♦ U » {<0 * '* JU 3 ' (')L ™ 2(444*44) ^2¾.....(^0)¾ ' / ■ (¾)¾)] 2(2¾ (¾ - / - (¾ (¾¾)^) -F 2 / ¾¾¾¾) (4¾ ”5" 63)1 Bone - (.00 / ¾ ■ / ■ / 4 / ¾)^¾¾¾ "■■■ AAÆH / AAa ■ / ■ $3), / ¾ ™' —4" $2.) "b(4) / ¾^)¾¾ 4-(¾) ■” / ?□(($■ ~ 1)~ 4 C(i?j + (¾ + $3))? a = Pj 4 , ~ (,R + w)Fÿ 4 - (¾ 4 41 4- w)? s 4) 4 -™ -- —y-,

[0040] pe: distance between the entrance pupil Pe and Mi

[0041] ps: distance between the exit pupil Ps and M4

[0042] F: focal length of the telescope

[0043] ei, i =1..3: distance between the mirror Mi and the mirror Mi+1

[0044] e4: distance between the focal plane of the telescope and the mirror M4

[0045] the distances el to e4 and ps being positive.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the conicities of the four consecutive mirrors are determined from the Korsch equations.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the four mirrors are arranged in three dimensions so that the light propagating in said telescope is not obstructed.

[0048] According to a variant, the telescope according to the invention is configured so that it is telecentric, that is to say that it has an exit pupil at infinity.

[0049] The invention also relates to a spectro-imaging system comprising a telecentric telescope according to the invention and further comprising a spectrometer comprising an entrance slit arranged in the focal plane of the telescope.

[0050] According to another variant, the telescope according to the invention has an exit pupil at a finite distance. According to one embodiment, the telescope comprises a closed compartment having a porthole whose position coincides with that of the exit pupil, and further comprises a cooled detector positioned in the compartment.

[0051] According to another aspect the invention relates to an imaging system comprising a global entrance pupil and a global exit pupil and comprising: • a 4MA optical assembly according to the invention, • an upstream optical assembly arranged upstream of the 4MA optical assembly, • a downstream optical assembly arranged downstream of the 4MA optical assembly, • the upstream optical assembly being configured to image the entrance pupil global on the entrance pupil of the 4MA optical assembly and the downstream optical assembly being configured to image the exit pupil of the 4MA optical assembly onto the global exit pupil of the imaging system.

[0052] According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a method for determining the vergences Vb V2, V3 and V4 respectively of four consecutive mirrors called first mirror M1, second mirror M2, third mirror M3 and fourth mirror M4 of an anastigmatic telescope and forming an optical assembly called 4MA, the telescope having an optical axis, an entrance pupil arranged at a distance pe from the first mirror and an exit pupil, image of the entrance pupil by the telescope, and arranged at a distance ps from the fourth mirror, a focal length and an overall focal plane, the vergences being determined on the optical axis and equal to a first quadruplet ( ^2' ^4) or to a second quadruplet ( Vj, V3, V4) determined according to the formulas:

[0053] , _ -^fl2-4aÔ V2“ 2a

[0054] 1Z± _ «o+^At 3 “

[0055] _______ 1 ¢^,1^-(^+^2+^3)+¾¾) ^+^)+¾¾^^¾¾^^

[0056] +

[0057] With:

[0058] F b = - ——gr—- for ps < 00 \ a / b = - (7 + ape) for ps = °°

[0059] c =- ô (¾ 4 F $3 h Of) ~ 1: ; (fig f ¢3), Aï = -(¾ (eI 4- (¾) : A •■■■ Pu™ 4- <Kgj - / -03 / / )(^4(3¾ - / - (¾) —' ,3| (o 1)~ — -F #.¾ - / -(43), pj =::3^33:44^43 4-(443(-^(5^¾^ ♦ U » {<0 * '* JU 3 ' (')L ™ 2(444*44) ^2¾.....(^0, / ¾ ' / ■ (¾)¾)] 2(2¾ (¾ - / - (¾ (4( / 3(¾ -F 2 / ¾¾¾¾) (4¾ ”5" S / ): Bone - (ooA ■ / ■ / 4 / ^)(4¾)¾¾) "■■■ ■ / ■ $3), '4} ™' —4" $2.) "b(4) / ¾^)¾¾ 4-(¾) ■” / ?□(($■ ~ 1)~ Hr C(i?j + (¾ + $3))? 43 - (MÀ^e^ea ~ a = Pj 4 , ~ (,R + 4 - (¾ 4 41 4- w)? s 4)

[0060] pe: distance between the entrance pupil Pe and Mi

[0061] ps: distance between the exit pupil Ps and M4

[0062] F: focal length of the telescope

[0063] ei, i =1..3: distance between the mirror Mi and the mirror Mi+1

[0064] e4: distance between the focal plane of the telescope and the mirror M4

[0065] the distances el to e4 and ps being positive.

[0066] According to another aspect the invention relates to a method of designing an anastigmatic telescope comprising:

[0067] -a step of determining said vergences according to the method according to the invention,

[0068] - a step of determining the conicities of said four mirrors from the equations from Korsch,

[0069] -a step of determining the respective positions and inclinations of said mirrors in three dimensions so as to remove an obstruction of the light propagating in said telescope, by adding to the optical combination formed by said four mirrors on the axis, at least one inclination of a mirror, and / or at least one off-axis of pupil and / or field, and / or at least one deflection mirror.

[0070] The following description presents several exemplary embodiments of the device of the invention: these examples are not limiting of the scope of the invention. These exemplary embodiments present both the essential characteristics of the invention as well as additional characteristics linked to the embodiments considered.

[0071] The invention will be better understood and other features, objects and advantages of these will appear during the detailed description which follows and with regard to the attached drawings given as non-limiting examples and in which:

[0072] The [Fig. 1] already cited illustrates an example of a telecentric imager having an exit pupil at infinity according to the state of the art.

[0073] The [Fig.2] already cited illustrates an example of an imager having an exit pupil at a finite distance and a cooled detector placed in a compartment.

[0074] [Fig.3] illustrates an example of a telecentric telescope according to the invention in an “on-axis” configuration.

[0075] [Fig.4] illustrates the example of a telecentric telescope according to the invention in a de-obscured configuration, calculated from the on-axis configuration of [Fig.3] and in such a way that light can propagate in the system.

[0076] [Fig.5] illustrates an example of a finite distance exit pupil telescope according to the invention in an "on-axis" configuration.

[0077] [Fig.6] illustrates the example of a finite distance exit pupil telescope according to the invention in a de-obscured configuration, calculated from the on-axis configuration of [Fig.5] and in such a way that light can propagate in the system.

[0078] [Fig.7] illustrates an imaging system according to the invention comprising a 4MA optical assembly according to the invention, an upstream optical assembly arranged upstream of the 4MA optical assembly and a downstream optical assembly arranged downstream of the 4MA optical assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0079] The invention relates to a telescope with four consecutive mirrors (M1, M2, M3, M4), the four vergences of which (V1, V2, V3, V4) are determined in order to obtain an entrance pupil and an exit pupil at predetermined positions, which does not exist in the state of the art.

[0080] The 10 4MA telescope according to the invention has a quadruple! of vergence (V1,V2,V3,V4) determined analytically from the input data which are:

[0081] -el, e2, e3 the distances between respectively the first and the second, the second and the third, the third and the fourth mirror,

[0082] -e4 the distance between the fourth mirror and the focal plane PF of the telescope,

[0083] -F the focal length.

[0084] -pe distance between the entrance pupil Pe and the mirror Mb

[0085] - ps distance between the mirror M4 and the exit pupil Ps.

[0086] Compliance with the Petzval condition is also required.

[0087] Thus we give ourselves an entrance pupil position and we determine the vergences (i.e. the curvatures: Ri = 2 / Vi) to have the exit pupil at the desired location. The vergences are defined in relation to the current optical axis, a convention which imposes the sign: following the direction of travel of the rays, which is reversed at each reflection, a positive radius of curvature R indicates that the center of curvature of the mirror is positioned at a distance R before the center of the mirror (the mirror "closes" around the incident rays).

[0088] The invention uses the degree of freedom of the system to impose an entrance pupil and send the exit pupil where desired, by calculating the correct curvatures.

[0089] The approach for determining analytical formulas is as follows.

[0090] According to a first aspect, we consider an optical system with 4 mirrors, entirely described to order 1 by its transfer matrix:

[0091] By construction we necessarily have (see book “Optics” by J.-P. Perez, chapters “Centered systems” and “Pupils and diaphragms):

[0092] a^^(l)

[0093] c =

[0094] Let us recall that, moreover, by construction, the transfer matrix M has determinant 1, which fixes the value of the coefficient d as a function of the other three:

[0095] , . v 4 ? — w' — 1 <1 ■■■■■■--------- has

[0096] The first order equation giving the position of the exit pupil, image of the pupil input by the matrix system M, is given by:

[0097] b- l+; for ps<

[0098]

[0099] ps< - + ap ) for ps - m : exit pupil at a finite distance ps=: exit pupil at infinity

[0100] We thus express b as a function of a, c, pe and ps.

[0101] According to a second aspect, given the vergences of the mirrors (Vb V2, V3, V4) and (el, e2, e3) the distances between the mirrors, the transfer matrix of the system is expressed: / 1 0\ A f 1 0\ A «A / 1 A eA / 1 0\ ' VA V \° M VA 1 / \oiyv \° U Va y

[0102] With (formulas (5)) fl — 1 — ft] V; —• Vtf'2 "" V3C2 + 062½.½ 4 C'a)—ïj — V2 ™ V3 -i- Bj (V] V3 "1' Vil2) 4 63( V) 1'3 4 1'21'3} 00½. V3V3), 6 — Cl 4 O — OOAA f:3(l — ^1½ — and V3 — 62½ 4 00½½¾ C — Clïj. — ViO ■■■■ Ao 4 6). 62 V1V2) + (-½ - A - A + MX A + XX) + 62(½¾ + AA) - ei^A WA - has

[0103] Starting from known values ​​of e4, F, pe and ps, called input parameters, formulas (1) to (4) allow us to determine the coefficients (a, b, c, d) as a function of these input parameters. Let us also consider that the system respects the Petzval condition (cancellation of the field curvature at the image plane):

[0104] A + V2 + V3 + V4 = 0 (6)

[0105] The resolution of the system consisting of formulas (5), by replacing the coefficients (a, b, cd) by the values ​​as a function of the input parameters, and of equation (6), makes it possible to explain the vergences from the input parameters.

[0106] Solving the system gives the result below:

[0107] We introduce some notations: ' & -- | «3), «I 4' C3}, A) -63(4 -res), At = 4.4433 P;) ™.....^063(81 4' €2) '4 4lA44(4. 4' 63) ■•"• Af(« "" l)" •"• 4- 82 4 63 pi — 4 A(“2ct6j£3 — 616263«) 4- 4- uA — 2^00:1 «618263 — (<ïg3.i 4 0:1.30)(2^6163 4 44244) 4 2 / / 0^1^1(63 4 6$), §2 ™ (“oAi + ^1 / ^)^18363 ~ 2AqA«6i(62 4 83), r# — -^630(4 4 «2) 4 tt-oA^sG^ 4cg) — AK(* — t)2 4€(ei 4 «s 4«a)): «2 ~ £4 / 4461824 — A)4-34 4 4)4 , / PI ô: “ pi -f px A “ (pi 4 ç2)l^ 4 (ra 4 4 4 w)>

[0108] The vergence V2 is given by the resolution of an equation of order 2, possibly giving two real solutions:

[0109] ± _ -^~^aô r? — ->„ — x. <Z

[0110] Knowing V2, we can go back to V3 using the equation on b of formulas (5): [YES] 3 W'?

[0112] Knowing V2 and V3, the equation on a of formulas (5) gives Vi:

[0113] ^ / ±_ 1 e (¾Vp ( ej+^+t'j ) +e>e3( 4+ Vj ) +62(4'4le2e344

[0114] Finally, the Petzval equation makes it possible to explain the last vergence V4: ions] vt=-(vt + vt + i+)

[0116] When there are two real solutions for V2, called p and y?, we therefore obtain two quadruplets ( p, V^, V*, V4) and ( V}, V7, V3, V4). Thus the vergences of the telescope 10 according to the invention have values ​​equal to a first quadruplet ( ^2' ^3' ^4) or to a second quadruplet ( V}, V4) determined at from the formulas above.

[0117] In this formalism, the distances el to e3 are considered with the unfolded system, that is to say they are always positive. Similarly e4 and ps are always positive. The exit pupil is always arranged after the mirror M4. The distance pe can be negative. A negative distance pe corresponds to a fictitious entrance pupil.

[0118] Thus the vergence formulas of the invention replace the determination of the magnifications by the Korsch equations of the state of the art which integrate a degree of freedom (see State of the art first step). These formulas are determined on the axis.

[0119] The analytical resolution of the exit pupil position constraint constitutes an original contribution of the invention, and an advantage compared to the state of the art which consists of numerically solving the constraint by optimizing a discontinuous and non-convex criterion (see state of the art). The analytical resolution of the invention therefore has a key advantage: there is no need to numerically search for the RI parameter (time saving in the exploration phase) and all the solutions are obtained.

[0120] The rest of the design calculation steps are classic:

[0121] The conicities on the axis of the four consecutive mirrors are determined from the Korsch equations.

[0122] The four mirrors are arranged in three dimensions so that the light propagating in the telescope is not obstructed. The respective positions and inclinations of the mirrors in three dimensions are determined so as to eliminate the obstruction of the light propagating in the telescope, by adding to the optical combination formed by the four mirrors on the axis, at least one inclination of a mirror, and / or at least one off-axis pupil and / or field, and / or at least one deflecting mirror.

[0123] Optionally, a so-called “free form” component is added to at least one mirror surface to compensate for the aberrations introduced by the previous step.

[0124] The inventors have shown that an absolute error of the order of 0.00001 on the vergences, corresponding to a relative error of approximately 0.05%, gives a solution which has a false focal length of several mm, a focal plane displaced by several mm, the same for the exit pupil if it is finite. In the case of a pupil at infinity, a vergence error of 0.05% brings it back to a finite distance. For a pupil localization precision of less than one mm (finite distances) a vergence precision of the order of 0.01% is required.

[0125] According to a first variant the telescope is telecentric, that is to say that it has an exit pupil Ps located at infinity: Ps ~ 00

[0126] In this case for the calculation of the vergences we determine the value of b with equation (4) corresponding to this case.

[0127] An example of calculating this type of telescope is:

[0128] Input parameters (in mm):

[0129] F=-1000; pe=0 (entrance pupil on the first mirror); Ps ~ 00; el=250; e2=150; e3=200, and e4= 250.

[0130] The calculation of the vergences gives two solutions of V2, and as an example we give here

[0131]

[0132]

[0133]

[0134]

[0135]

[0136]

[0137]

[0138]

[0139]

[0140]

[0141] the quadruple! V+ solution. Vi n 00^251193018496944, (MH30308)8782331.043, VS - - - - - 0 VS - 0.004555673353313222., By solving the Korsch equations on the Seidel aberrations we obtain the corresponding conicity constants: - --0.,931806, — ■■■■■■■ (1.0 2, -9.609265, ..... 0,.009829. This example is illustrated in [Fig.3] (on-axis solution) and [Fig.4] (unobscured solution). For this, we introduce 40 mm of pupil off-axis, and 4° of field off-axis. We observe in [Fig.4] that the beams arrive parallel to the detector at the end of the system, corresponding to telecentricity. This unobscured solution is always telecentric to the nearest tenth of a degree, with a maximum rms spot of about ten microns (compared to 1 micron on the axis), and this with only conical surfaces. The addition of low-amplitude “freeform” corrections further improves image quality. The invention also relates to a spectro-imaging system comprising a telecentric telescope according to the invention and further comprising a spectrometer whose entrance slit is arranged in the focal plane of the telescope. The telecentricity constraint ensures a parallel arrival of the rays at the end of the telescope, allowing passage through the slit, the source of the spectrometer. According to a second variant the telescope has an exit pupil at a finite distance: ps S 00 In this case, for the calculation of the vergences, the value of b is determined with equation (4) corresponding to this case. An example calculation of this type of telescope is: Input parameters (in mm): F=1000; pe=0 (entrance pupil on the first mirror); ps=200; el=150; e2= 150; e3=150, and e4= 300. The calculation of the vergences gives two real solutions for V2, and as an example we give here the quadruplet solution V+.

[0142] M :::: OXW110594735001W5 14 -OXM-WlTfW H 0.0227476257555304:1. ? W 0.016033549409142256.

[0143] By solving the Korsch equations on the Seidel aberrations we obtain the corresponding conicity constants:

[0144] .....0.927247. ^3 - -2.SSO721, ~ —0.270941, - -0.129766.

[0145] This example is illustrated in [Fig.5] (solution on the axis) and [Fig.6] (solution de- obscured). We note that the exit pupil Ps is located upstream, 100mm from the focal plane PF. According to one embodiment, the imaging system comprises a closed compartment having a window whose position coincides with that of the exit pupil. The imaging system also comprises a cooled detector positioned in the compartment at the focal plane (see block diagram in [Fig.2]). The detector is, for example, a detector operating in the IR band.

[0146] Central obstruction and vignetting can be eliminated by a judicious choice of tilt, off-axis, and deflecting mirrors, as illustrated [Fig.6]. Note that this last solution has a maximum rms spot of about ten microns (compared to 1 micron on the axis) and a pupillary aberration of a few millimeters, correctable by the addition of freeform.

[0147] The class of telescopes defined by the formulas according to the invention makes it possible to construct optical systems for which the position of the exit pupil is analytically controlled via the calculation input parameters.

[0148] The two main applications (and their “off-axis” variants) are telecentric telescopes and cooled focal plane telescopes (e.g. infrared telescopes).

[0149] These two basic systems can be used to create complete systems, but also as components of hybrid systems such as spectro-imagers or multi-channel systems.

[0150] According to one embodiment, the invention also relates to an imaging system 30 illustrated [Fig.7]. The optical system 30 comprises a global entrance pupil Peg and a global exit pupil Psg and comprises a 4MA optical assembly according to the invention described previously. It also comprises an upstream optical assembly EOAm arranged upstream of the 4MA optical assembly and a downstream optical assembly EOAv arranged downstream of the 4MA optical assembly. The upstream optical assembly is configured to image the overall entrance pupil onto the entrance pupil of the 4MA optical assembly and the downstream optical assembly is configured to image the exit pupil of the 4MA optical assembly onto the overall exit pupil of the imaging system. The 4MA assembly is thus a building block that is inserted into a larger optical system. For example, the upstream optical assembly is multi-channel, that is to say that it comprises a spectral splitter and optics (lenses, mirrors) associated with at least two separate spectral bands.

[0151] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for determining the vergences (Vb V2, V3 and V4) respectively of the four consecutive mirrors (Ml, M2, M3, M4) of a telescope, the vergences being determined by the formulas described above.

[0152] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for designing an anastigmatic telescope with four consecutive mirrors, comprising a first step of determining the vergences of the four mirrors as described above. Then, in a second step, the conicities of the four mirrors are determined from the Korsch equations. In a third step, the respective positions and inclinations of the mirrors in three dimensions are determined, so as to eliminate the obstruction of the light propagating in the telescope. For this, at least one inclination of a mirror, and / or at least one off-axis pupil and / or field, and / or at least one deflecting mirror are added to the optical combination formed by the four mirrors on the axis.

[0153] Optionally in a fourth step at least one surface of a mirror is made “free-form” in order to reduce the aberrations introduced by the third step.

Claims

Claims

1. Anastigmatic telescope (10) comprising four consecutive mirrors, respectively called first mirror Mb, second mirror M2, third mirror M3 and fourth mirror M4, forming an optical assembly called 4MA, said telescope having an optical axis (OA), an entrance pupil (Pe) arranged at a distance pe from the first mirror and an exit pupil (Ps), image of the entrance pupil by said telescope, and arranged at a distance ps from the fourth mirror, a focal length (F) and an overall focal plane (PF), said four consecutive mirrors Mb M2, M3 and M4 respectively having vergences Vb V2, V3 and V4 having values ​​equal to a first quadruplet ( vX V^, ) or to a second quadruplet (Vj, V9, V3, V4) determined from the formulas below: ± _ -fi±^-4aô V2 ~ 2^ T / ± «0+«|Vf 3 “ 1 e V2~(el+e2+e3 ) +e 1^3( ^2+^3 ) '4 = -(24+^+ v|) With: , / ap +^+cp p \ b = - ......for p s < «O \ 1+ a / b= - (7 +ap e ) for ps= "> O:; - ï» ■ 4 ; 4 Cvs 4 Cg), — <4 4¾ 444)5 / ¾ — —és(éî 4 «ai? / ¾ -- Cj fj<î;j. py œ — 4 4¾ 4 <ï^ 4- Ky) — .ÿf (“• - 1)” — 4 <4 4-<44 PS iSEj'OKj«2^3 4 {-~2sâS <4; — ËyfisjC) 4 4' <Ï$X §4 2^eii.8€ie2 <?3 — (<W^i + 4 (¾ 4- <4). 42 :;;; (<W?i 4 <44^)<<<4£44î ~ 2 / :4.4¾<}.<’4 (¢3 4 Cg), ■r$ ™ — «^e-jafei 4eaJ 4- 4 sa) — ■— 1)" 4cf<4 4-€2 + 7½ ::: "2" A « :;;; Fl 4 4 - ÜF 4 <&)Vj 4 (:¾ 4 ¢). 4 pjj). 3- 'K v<? pe : distance entre la pupille d’entrée Pe et Mi ps : distance entre la pupille de sortie Ps et M4 F : focale du télescope ei, i =1--3 : distance entre le miroir Mi et le miroir Mi+1 e4 : distance entre le plan focal du télescope et le miroir M4 les distances el à e4 et ps étant positives.

2. Telescope according to the preceding claim in which the conicities of the four consecutive mirrors are determined from the Korsch equations.

3. A telescope according to any preceding claim wherein the four mirrors are arranged in three dimensions such that light propagating in said telescope is not obstructed.

4. Telescope according to one of the preceding claims configured so that it is telecentric, that is to say that it has an exit pupil at infinity.

5. A spectro-imaging system comprising a telescope according to the preceding claim and further comprising a spectrometer comprising an entrance slit disposed in the focal plane of said telescope.

6. Telescope according to one of claims 1 to 3 having an exit pupil at a finite distance.

7. Telescope according to the preceding claim comprising a closed compartment having a porthole whose position coincides with that of the exit pupil, and further comprising a cooled detector positioned in the compartment.

8. An imaging system (30) comprising a global entrance pupil (Peg) and a global exit pupil (Psg) and comprising: • an anastigmatic telescope according to one of claims 1 to 3, • an upstream optical assembly (EOAm) arranged upstream of the 4M A optical assembly, • a downstream optical assembly (EOAv) arranged downstream of the 4M A optical assembly, • the upstream optical assembly being configured to image the global entrance pupil onto the entrance pupil of the 4MA optical assembly and the downstream optical assembly being configured to image the exit pupil of the 4MA optical assembly onto the global exit pupil of the imaging system.

9. Method for determining the vergences Vb V2, V3 and V4 respectively of four consecutive mirrors called first mirror Ml, second mirror M2, third mirror M3 and fourth mirror M4 of an anastigmatic telescope and forming an optical assembly called 4MA, said telescope having an optical axis (OA), an entrance pupil (Pe) arranged at a distance pe from the first mirror and an exit pupil (Ps), image of the entrance pupil by said telescope, and arranged at a distance ps from the fourth mirror, a focal length (f) and a global focal plane (PF), said vergences being determined on the optical axis and equal to a first quadruplet ( V~Z V4 ) or to a second quadruplet ( Vj, V9, V4) determined according to the formulas: 2« a0+a|Vj v4- ■ With : C ~ F ( , / aP\ b = -......for p* < oo for ps = - ï» ■ ■ ■ 4 ; 4 (¾4″3), «3 = (¾¾¾ 444:0 / 3⁄4 ~~ —is it ? (3⁄4). 04 = cj (3⁄43⁄4. py œ —4 4- ¢443⁄403⁄4^3⁄4 4- ¢3) ■■■ (« - 1)" — P'O't*? + <4 4(3⁄4}. pS ;-- iSEj'OKj&2«3 4 <£101 {—2fMj fis; — (3⁄43⁄4) 4 OjC'4 (3⁄4" 53⁄43⁄4 §4 = — ( <W^l + ^$1))(2½^¾¾ 4 4 0¾)%¾¾ (¾ + 4¾ 92 :;;; ((1⁄4.3⁄4 ^ / 4)13⁄43⁄43⁄4 — 2 / :40044103⁄4 4 415.0 Rs ™ 4¾) 4 «ft,^œg(ei 43⁄4) — ■— 1)" 4 «(«s 4 es + e-00 71⁄2 ::: "j" ^oO&y VP Oh « :;;; Child 4 ?2 > 0 - ÜF 4 5fe)W 4 0'2 4 91. 4 Pssh n* pe : distance between input pupil Pe and Mi ps : distance between output pupil Ps and M4 F : focal length of the telescope ei, i =1..3 : distance between mirror Mi and mirror Mi41 e4 : the distance between the focal plane of the telescope and the mirror M4 the distances el to e4 and ps being positive.

10. A method of designing an anastigmatic telescope comprising: - a step of determining said vergences according to the preceding claim, - a step of determining the conicities of said four mirrors from the Korsch equations, - a step of determining the respective positions and inclinations of said mirrors in three dimensions so as to remove an obstruction of the light propagating in said telescope, by adding to the optical combination formed by said four mirrors on the axis, at least one inclination of a mirror, and / or at least one off-axis of pupil and / or field, and / or at least one deflection mirror.

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