The standard representation of an aspheric optical surface is a power series added to a base conic. This dissertation considers alternate ways of describing an aspheric surface, and the effect of such alternate descriptions on the design of optical systems. In rare cases one may represent an aspheric by an expression in closed form that allows the system to yield imagery that is in some sense perfect. A new family of such systems, having perfect axial imagery, is described. In most cases one must represent an aspheric by a series of basis functions added to a base conic. Nonpolynomial basis functions are discussed and used to design several different lenses. They are shown to give better image quality than the same number, or a larger number, of polynomial series terms. When used as optimization variables, the nonstandard basis functions are shown to converge to a solution in fewer iterations, in some cases, than when power series variables were used. The increase in convergence rate is at least paritially offset by the fact that the nonstandard functions take longer to evaluate than polynomials. Optical testing of aspheric surfaces having nonpolynomial descriptions is discussed to the extent necessary to show the feasibility, in principle, of testing and manufacturing some of the design examples presented in the dissertation. When the idea of designing aspheric surfaces with nonstandard functions as variables is accepted, one needs to know which of the many possible such variables to use in a given application. Some methods of searching for the most appropriate variables are described. A hypothesis is presented on which types of optical systems will benefit from nonstandard aspheric representations, and which will be adequately designed with polynomial representations.

An analysis of the performance of simple refractive null compensators was done. Two types of correctors were studied--the Dall compensator and the Offner compensator. A framework was built for determining whether these simple null tests are adequate for a wide range of aspheric surfaces. Variables involved in determining a surface to be null tested are f-number, conic constant, and focal length. Examples are given on how to determine the best null test for several aspheric surfaces. Also of concern in the design of a null compensator was simplicity. Two elements were the maximum used for both compensators and all compensator surfaces were spherical.

Phase shifting interferometry is one of the most promising methods for testing aspheres. However, one will encounter the following problems when it is applied to test an asphere: (1) very tight fringes produced by a strong asphere exceed the test system's resolution, (2) a test wavefront suffers from system aberrations of the interferometer that cause measurement errors, and (3) the wavefront immediately after reflection does not necessarily represent the shape of the test asphere. This thesis used a high density array sensor to detect the dense fringes. In order to solve the system aberration and the ray retrace problems, it is necessary to incorporate a ray trace code and phase shifting interferometry. This measurement principle was applied for an aspheric surface whose asphericity was 100 waves. A phase shifting Fizeau interferometer was incorporated with an optical design program. The attained accuracy was approximately one-tenth of a wave.

Die entsprechend der Quellstärke größte Fraktion des atmosphärischen Aerosols ist der natürliche Grobstaub (Seesalz, Mineralstaub und primär biologische Partikel). Nahezu alle natürlichen Grobstaubpartikel in trockener Phase weisen mehr oder weniger starke Abweichungen von der sphärischen Form auf. Der Einfluss der Asphärizität auf die aerodynamischen und optischen Eigenschaften kann durch sogenannte Formfaktoren unter Verwendung einer Referenzgröße berücksichtigt werden. Für wissenschaftliche Fragestellungen, die sowohl auf aerodynamischen wie auch optischen Aspekten beruhen, bedarf es einer vollständigen Betrachtung des Einflusses der Partikelmorphologie, um ein physikalisch plausibles Ergebnis zu erhalten. Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Analyse der Relationen zwischen aerodynamischen und optischen Eigenschaften. Ziel ist die approximative Darstellung der optischen Formfaktoren durch den aerodynamischen Formfaktor als Maßzahl der Asphärizität. Hierfür wurden sowohl geometrische Formparameter als auch aerodynamische und optische Formfaktoren für ein Ensemble von regelmäßigen und unregelmäßigen Partikeln simuliert. Der Approximation der optischen Formfaktoren durch den aerodynamischen Formfaktor werden theoretische Überlegungen und Ergebnisse numerischer Simulationen vorangestellt. Die optischen Formfaktoren sind dabei primär eine Funktion des Größenparameters (Partikelgröße und Wellenlänge) und des aerodynamischen Formfaktors. In Laborexperimenten wurden beide Abhängigkeiten unter Verwendung von Proben mit Partikeln unterschiedlicher Asphärizität validiert. Die resultierende Approximation ermöglicht eine einfache und konsistente Beschreibung des Einflusses der Partikelmorphologie auf die aerodynamischen und optischen Eigenschaften. Dies ist eine unabdingbare Voraussetzung für eine genauere Analyse von Partikeleigenschaften, die aus aerodynamisch und optisch basierten In-situ-Messungen abgeleitet werden.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-175).

QC 351 A7 no. 69 / The history of modern wide -field, high-speed catadioptric lenses is reviewed. One system comprising only spherical curves and representative of the current art for low-light-level systems is evaluated and used as a baseline design in a weight-reduction study. Five aspheric designs are computed and evaluated. It is found that the use of aspherics will permit weight reduction only in certain instances, i.e., if one element of an all-spherical design can be eliminated or if a fundamentally different configuration that is possible only with aspherics is substituted for the all-spherical configuration. Of these possibilities, the elimination of an element is the best replacement for the baseline design. The case of a highly constrained, purely refractive triplet is studied in some detail. Four designs are computed -from the all-spherical case to the most complex polynomial aspheric. It is found that, if only conic aspherics are employed, significant improvement can be obtained and the problems involved are sensibly the same as those in all-spherical designs. When complex aspherics are applied, the problem becomes surprisingly difficult, and there is some indication that a computer can deal with it better than can a human lens designer.

This research reports a simple and novel method to fabricate microlens arrays by soft stamping the unexposed SU-8 photoresist. A SU-8 based stamp composed of micro-nozzle arrays with a reservoir structure on a glass substrate is first fabricated using a process of dosage control exposure. The unexposed SU-8 is then encapsulated in the cross-linked SU-8 shell and was used as the ¡§ink¡¨ for the stamping process. The proposed SU-8 microlens array is then formed by stamping the formed SU-8 structure on a bare glass substrate at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the unexposed SU-8 microlens array. Lenses with various radii of curvature can be formed by controlling the working temperature during the stamping process. In addition, this work also employed a simple electric static pulling scheme to manipulate the fabricated lenses profiles. Aspherical SU-8 microlens arrays with a wide range of tunable focal lengths were fabricated with this approach. Furthermore, we develop an advanced localize E-field control technique to fabricate microlenses with various focus length and microlenses with different tilt angle in a single lens array sheet. A novel grayscale mask fabrication technique is also proposed first. This low cost and rapid method is applied on stepwise and continuous tilt plane fabrication for produces a gradually changed E-field. Hetero axes and focus lengths microlenses are fabricated with this approach. In order to farther understand the real E-field distribution, a novel PCF based E-field sensor fabrication technique is also proposed. This technique also shows the potential on various PCF based devices fabrications.

This study utilizes a modified LIGA process to fabricate a high aspect ratio aspherical micro lens array, which improves low light output of OLED due to its intrinsic total internal reflection. Presently typical OLED extraction efficiency is not high. How to increase OLED extraction efficiency is a valuable topic to discuss. This study analyzes related parameters that influence the formation of micro lenses, for example, the influence of variation of diametric dimension, dry etching parameters and electroforming rate. The experimental results indicate that the tolerance of dimensional variation of the diameter is about 5% during the thermal reflow and dry etching stage. The oxygen content and the photoresist surface during dry etching influence the result. A high electroforming rate is helpful for covering the surface defects on photoresist. An undercut caused by dry etching will discontinue the initial electroformed layers. A apherical microens array can raise the luminance to a maximum of 15 times higher.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are regarded as next-generation light sources. The enhancement of external quantum efficiency of OLEDs has been investigated widely. It is an effective method of improving the external quantum efficiency, which destroys the phenomenon of total internal reflection inside the OLEDs by attaching microlens array to the surface of the glass substrate of the OLEDs. In this thesis, a multi-level aspherical gapless microlens array was designed and manufactured, and it was applied to OLEDs. In contrast with a spherical microlens array, the multi-level aspherical gapless microlens array can achieve a form of high aspect ratio and high fill factor, and they can enhance the external quantum efficiency of OLEDs. At first, aspherical microlens arrays with different parameters, including shapes of curved surface, layouts and feature dimensions, were simulated by optical simulation software, FRED. The aspherical microlens arrays which were attached to an OLED were simulated with a ray tracing method. Then, an optimal geometry and layout were found out. After simulation, a film with multi-level aspherical microlens array was fabricated by a LIGA-like process, including lithography, electroforming, PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) micro-molding and UV (Ultraviolet) -cured techniques. The characteristic in this process was to use multi-lithography to fabricate a microlens array with multi-level and high aspect ratio. The shape of multi-level was similar to the design, and the process can achieve the advantage of batch manufacture. Finally, the films with different multi-level aspherical microlens array were attached to an OLED to measure the optical-electric properties. The measured results were compared with simulation and confirmed them.

Die entsprechend der Quellstärke größte Fraktion des atmosphärischen Aerosols ist der natürliche Grobstaub (Seesalz, Mineralstaub und primär biologische Partikel). Nahezu alle natürlichen Grobstaubpartikel in trockener Phase weisen mehr oder weniger starke Abweichungen von der sphärischen Form auf. Der Einfluss der Asphärizität auf die aerodynamischen und optischen Eigenschaften kann durch sogenannte Formfaktoren unter Verwendung einer Referenzgröße berücksichtigt werden. Für wissenschaftliche Fragestellungen, die sowohl auf aerodynamischen wie auch optischen Aspekten beruhen, bedarf es einer vollständigen Betrachtung des Einflusses der Partikelmorphologie, um ein physikalisch plausibles Ergebnis zu erhalten. Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Analyse der Relationen zwischen aerodynamischen und optischen Eigenschaften. Ziel ist die approximative Darstellung der optischen Formfaktoren durch den aerodynamischen Formfaktor als Maßzahl der Asphärizität. Hierfür wurden sowohl geometrische Formparameter als auch aerodynamische und optische Formfaktoren für ein Ensemble von regelmäßigen und unregelmäßigen Partikeln simuliert. Der Approximation der optischen Formfaktoren durch den aerodynamischen Formfaktor werden theoretische Überlegungen und Ergebnisse numerischer Simulationen vorangestellt. Die optischen Formfaktoren sind dabei primär eine Funktion des Größenparameters (Partikelgröße und Wellenlänge) und des aerodynamischen Formfaktors. In Laborexperimenten wurden beide Abhängigkeiten unter Verwendung von Proben mit Partikeln unterschiedlicher Asphärizität validiert. Die resultierende Approximation ermöglicht eine einfache und konsistente Beschreibung des Einflusses der Partikelmorphologie auf die aerodynamischen und optischen Eigenschaften. Dies ist eine unabdingbare Voraussetzung für eine genauere Analyse von Partikeleigenschaften, die aus aerodynamisch und optisch basierten In-situ-Messungen abgeleitet werden.