SBIR Phase I:Novel High-Volume Spherical Microlens Production

这个小企业研究计划项目将开发新型球面微透镜，具有可控的径向梯度折射率，用于先进的光学应用，包括激光跟踪、遥感和通信等。球面渐变折射率(GRIN)透镜具有球面对称性，可以从任何角度接收和操纵光束，因此透镜的取向是不必要的，因此在理论和实践上都有很大的兴趣。然而，这些镜片(有时称为鱼眼或猫眼镜片)的生产一直是不切实际的，因为缺乏方法来产生所需轮廓和量级的球面分级指数。该研究小组将开发高光学质量的球形GRIN微透镜的生产，这是一种使用流化床化学气相沉积(FBCVD)的经济大容量工艺。该团队将在二元氧化物玻璃系统的实验室规模上证明新工艺的可行性，并通过物理和光学技术对产品进行表征。如果成功，成功的好处可能是更好的大气监测设备和改进的自动化计量。

This Small Business Research Program project will develop novel spherical microlenses with controlled, radially graded refractive index for advanced optical applications, including laser tracking, remote sensing, and communications, among others. Much theoretical and practical interest has focused on spherical graded index (GRIN) lenses because their spherical symmetry allows them to accept and manipulate light beams from any angle, so that orientation of the lens is unnecessary. However, production of these lenses (sometimes called fisheye or cat's eye lenses) has been impractical due to a lack of methods to produce a spherically graded index of the required profile and magnitude. The research team will develop production of spherical GRIN microlenses of high optical quality, in an economical high volume process using fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD). The team will demonstrate the feasibility of the new process at the bench scale in a binary oxide glass system and characterize the product by physical and optical techniques. If successful the benefits of success could be much better devices for atmospheric monitoring and improved automated metrology.