Microlenses fabricated using flexible elastomers can be tuned in focal length by application of controlled strain.By varying the strain azimuthally,the lenses may be deformed asymmetrically such that aberrations may b...Microlenses fabricated using flexible elastomers can be tuned in focal length by application of controlled strain.By varying the strain azimuthally,the lenses may be deformed asymmetrically such that aberrations may be controlled.This approach is used to tune the astigmatism of the tunable lenses,and it is shown that the generated wavefront may be accurately controlled.The lens presented here has an initial focal length of 32.6 mm and a tuning range of 12.3 mm for approximately 10%applied strain.The range of directly tunable Zernike polynomials representing astigmatism is about 3 mm,while the secondary lens errors,which cannot be tuned directly,vary only by about 0.2 mm.展开更多
We demonstrate a tunable imaging system based on the functionality of the mammalian eye using soft-matter micro-optical components.Inspired by the structure of the eye,as well as by the means through which nature tune...We demonstrate a tunable imaging system based on the functionality of the mammalian eye using soft-matter micro-optical components.Inspired by the structure of the eye,as well as by the means through which nature tunes its optical behavior,we show that the technologies of microsystems engineering and micro-optics may be used to realize a technical imaging system whose biomimetic functionality is entirely distinct from that of conventional optics.The engineered eyeball integrates a deformable elastomeric refractive structure whose shape is mechanically controlled through application of strain using liquid crystal elastomer(LCE)actuators;two forms of tunable iris,one based on optofluidics and the other on LCEs with embedded heaters;a fixed lens arrangement;and a commercial imaging sensor chip.The complete microsystem,optimized to yield optical characteristics close to those of the human eye,represents the first fully functional,soft-matter-based tunable single-aperture eye-like imager.展开更多
基金This work was funded by the German Science Foundation within the framework of the Priority Program 1337 Aktive MikrooptikThe authors thank Philipp Muller and the Laboratory for Biomedical Technology at IMTEK for coating the master lenses.
文摘Microlenses fabricated using flexible elastomers can be tuned in focal length by application of controlled strain.By varying the strain azimuthally,the lenses may be deformed asymmetrically such that aberrations may be controlled.This approach is used to tune the astigmatism of the tunable lenses,and it is shown that the generated wavefront may be accurately controlled.The lens presented here has an initial focal length of 32.6 mm and a tuning range of 12.3 mm for approximately 10%applied strain.The range of directly tunable Zernike polynomials representing astigmatism is about 3 mm,while the secondary lens errors,which cannot be tuned directly,vary only by about 0.2 mm.
基金supported by the Priority Program‘Active Micro-optics’funded by the German Research Foundation(DFG).
文摘We demonstrate a tunable imaging system based on the functionality of the mammalian eye using soft-matter micro-optical components.Inspired by the structure of the eye,as well as by the means through which nature tunes its optical behavior,we show that the technologies of microsystems engineering and micro-optics may be used to realize a technical imaging system whose biomimetic functionality is entirely distinct from that of conventional optics.The engineered eyeball integrates a deformable elastomeric refractive structure whose shape is mechanically controlled through application of strain using liquid crystal elastomer(LCE)actuators;two forms of tunable iris,one based on optofluidics and the other on LCEs with embedded heaters;a fixed lens arrangement;and a commercial imaging sensor chip.The complete microsystem,optimized to yield optical characteristics close to those of the human eye,represents the first fully functional,soft-matter-based tunable single-aperture eye-like imager.
