Off-axis Aspheric Three-mirror Optical System Aberration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional off-axis aspheric three-mirror optical systems are limited in their application to large field angles and small F-number scenarios, restricting their versatility and imaging quality.
Innovation Solution
A method for designing off-axis aspheric optical systems that involves establishing an initial system with aspheric surfaces, selecting feature rays from various fields and aperture positions, and iteratively fitting these rays using Snell's law to optimize the surfaces, incorporating intermediate points to refine the aspheric shapes, thereby improving the system's design freedom and reducing aberrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If aspheric surfaces are used in off-axis three-mirror optical systems, then aberrations can be significantly reduced and design freedom improved, but the system is limited to linear field of view with small field angles and large F-number
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the optical system by introducing freeform surfaces with complex aspheric coefficients and higher-order terms. This allows the system to achieve both aberration reduction and extended applicability to large field angles and small F-number scenarios, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and adaptability.
2Measurement precision
If conventional off-axis aspheric three-mirror optical systems are designed, then aberrations are reduced, but the system complexity increases limiting further optimization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aspheric surface into multiple zones with different optimization parameters. By dividing the optical surface into distinct regions that can be independently optimized, the system achieves high imaging quality while managing complexity through modular design of the freeform surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces freeform surfaces that add dimensional complexity to the optical design. By utilizing higher-order aspheric terms and freeform coefficients, the system expands the design space beyond conventional two-dimensional surface descriptions, enabling better aberration control without being constrained by traditional system complexity.
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
This approach enhances the off-axis aspheric three-mirror optical system's performance by reducing aberrations and improving the freedom of design, enabling its application in larger field angles and smaller F-number scenarios, resulting in improved imaging quality and increased versatility.
Implementation Method 1
off-axis aspheric three-mirror optical system
Implementation Method 2
iteratively fitting these rays using Snell's law to optimize the surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
An off-axis aspheric three-mirror optical system comprises a primary mirror, a secondary mirror, and a tertiary mirror. Relative to a first three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system in space, a second three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system is defined by a primary mirror location, a third three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system is defined by a secondary mirror location, and a fourth three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system is defined by a tertiary mirror location. The primary mirror in the second three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system, the secondary mirror in the third three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system, and the tertiary mirror in the fourth three-dimensional rectangular coordinates system are all sixth-order polynomial aspheric.