Lens Assembly With Meta-Lens Compensation for Thin Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lens assemblies in digital cameras and miniaturized electronic devices face challenges in reducing space requirements while effectively compensating for chromatic aberration and geometric aberration, leading to increased thickness and loss of focusing power.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a meta-lens with positive power on the front of a second lens and a meniscus lens type with less geometric aberration, along with a nano structure array to compensate for chromatic aberration, allowing for a miniaturized lens assembly with reduced aberrations and a thin camera design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a lens assembly consisting of a plurality of lenses is used to obtain high quality images, then image quality is improved, but device thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a meta-lens with negative chromatic aberration and a refractive lens with positive chromatic aberration into a single integrated lens assembly. This merging allows the two lenses to work together to compensate for chromatic aberration while maintaining a compact form factor, resolving the contradiction between image quality and device thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite optical structures combining meta-lens elements (with negative chromatic aberration) and traditional refractive lenses (with positive chromatic aberration). This composite approach enables effective chromatic aberration compensation while keeping the overall lens assembly thin, thus improving image quality without increasing device thickness
2Manufacturing precision
If chromatic aberration compensation is implemented using traditional methods, then chromatic aberration is reduced, but focusing power is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of negative chromatic aberration in meta-lenses into a beneficial property by deliberately selecting a meta-lens with negative chromatic aberration to compensate for the positive chromatic aberration of the refractive lens. This approach achieves effective chromatic aberration compensation while preserving focusing power, as the negative chromatic aberration of the meta-lens counteracts the positive chromatic aberration of the refractive lens without significant loss of focusing capability
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple lenses are combined to reduce aberrations, then aberration compensation is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges a meta-lens and a refractive lens into a compact integrated assembly where the two lenses are positioned close together. This merging enables effective aberration compensation through the complementary optical properties of the two lens types while minimizing the overall volume occupied by the lens assembly, thus improving aberration compensation without significantly increasing space requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed lens assembly achieves a compact design with improved chromatic aberration compensation, maintaining focusing power and reducing geometric aberrations, enabling an ultra-thin camera with a wide field of view and high image resolution.
Implementation Method 1
a meta-lens with a positive power may be formed on the front of a second lens... chromatic aberration of refractive lenses can be compensated when they have positive power rather than negative power
Implementation Method 2
one or more meta-surfaces whose phase profiles are determined to compensate for chromatic aberration of the imaging device
Implementation Method 3
a first lens may use a meniscus lens type with less occurrence of geometric aberration
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a lens assembly including a first lens having positive optical power with respect to incident light incident from an object side and having a convex surface facing the object side, and a second lens including a meta-lens having negative chromatic aberration with respect to the incident light passing through the first lens.