Abstract

Radial GRIN lenses have met with industrial success as focusing devices for desktop copiers, endoscopes, and fiber optic couplers. In all of these applications, however, the radius of the GRIN lens needed is small and the current limitations in controlling the diffusion depth and Δn of manufacturable GRIN materials has not overly hampered these particular applications. If, however, larger diameter radial GRIN lenses could be manufactured, the technology could be employed in a host of larger aperture imaging systems where the benefits of radial GRIN lenses could be utilized.

© 1987 Optical Society of America