Abstract

In order to design a refractive optical system, the lens designer needs to know at the wavelengths the system will operate the index of refraction of the materials that are going to be used for the elements. If the specifications of the design require high performance (e.g., diffraction-limited performance over an extended spectral band) then the optical dispersion of the material must be known to a high degree of accuracy. Visible wavelength band lens designs that use optical glasses can satisfy this need because the characteristics of optical glasses are established and well documented over the usable spectral band by the glass manufacturer (typically 0.40 to 2.3 microns). High-accuracy requirements for dispersion characteristics can present challenges to lens designers that have to develop high-performance designs when the design specifications rule out the use of optical glasses.

© 1998 Optical Society of America