Abstract

Unlike conventional lens design, a comparatively limited accumulation of prior works exist for gradient-index (GRIN) lens design. Presently, the best GRIN solution is often discovered only after the lens designer replaces each and every homogeneous element in the optical system with GRIN elements, and in turn evaluates each configuration. Since it is considerably more time consuming to raytrace a GRIN optical system, the total design time could be reduced if the lens designer ia able to locate suitable starting GRIN solutions without resorting entirely to the trial and error method. Based on the simplified third order GRIN aberration formulas recently proposed by the authors [1], this paper introduces a systematic approach with specific design rules for locating potential axial GRIN lens solutions that reduce a given third order aberration, when they are added to an existing homogeneous lens system.

© 1990 Optical Society of America