Abstract

Lens systems employing elements of optical glass form acceptable images only over relatively narrow range of radiation wavelengths, usually only the visible waveband, whereas optical systems for use in the infrared waveband typically employ optical materials, which do not transmit at all in the visible waveband. Lens designs corrected over wavebands up to a decade wide, are the subject of this paper. Systems are developed, which have their long wavelength cut-off ten times their cut-on wavelength, specifically 0.55 to 5.5 micrometers and 1.5 to 15 micrometers. The lens systems described in this paper utilize optical materials which transmit substantially from the visible waveband through the medium infrared to the “far” infrared. The values of the converging powers of the lens elements of each material are carefully chosen such that the position of focus of each optical system for each wavelength within each waveband is substantially fixed in space.

© 1998 Optical Society of America