Segmented axial gradinet array lens

Claim 2

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a first planar sheet having first and second sides, said second side of said first sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at one or more ridges parallel to said grooves; a second planar sheet having first and second sides, said first side of said second sheet including a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at one or more ridges parallel to said grooves; said ridges of said second side of said first sheet mating with said grooves of said first side of said second sheet and said ridges of said first side of said second sheet mating with said grooves of said second side of said first sheet to form a continuous interface from said first sheet to said second sheet; at least one wall of said grooves forming a finite, non-normal angle with one of said optical axes; and at least one of said sheets has an axial gradient index of refraction profile.

Claim 3

The lens of claim 1 wherein said front surface and said rear surface are each planar.

Claim 4

The lens of claim 1 wherein one of said sheets has an axial gradient index of refraction profile achieves a desired optical function and the other of said sheets has a homogeneous index of refraction.

Claim 5

The lens of claim 3 wherein said interface between each corresponding pair of grooves and ridges of said first and second sheets each comprises a plane inclined at a predetermined angle from one of said optical axes and wherein said index of refraction profile is produces the functionality of an array of parallel cylindrical lenses.

Claim 6

The lens of claim 3 wherein said interface between each corresponding pair of grooves and ridges of said first and second sheets each comprises a wedge with its sides inclined at a predetermined angle from said optical axes and said index of refraction profile is produces the functionality of an array of parallel cylindrical lenses.

Claim 7

The lens of claim 1 wherein each of said sheets has an axial gradient index of refraction profile.

Claim 8

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a plurality of planar sheets each having a first and a second side; said first side of a first one of said sheets forming said front surface and said second side of said first sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at ridges parallel to said grooves; said second side of a last one of said sheets forming said rear surface and said first side of said last sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at ridges parallel to said grooves; one or more intermediate one of said sheets positioned between said first and last sheets, said first and second sides of each of said intermediate sheets each having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at ridges parallel to said grooves; said ridges and grooves of adjacent ones of said sheets mating to form continuous interfaces between adjacent sheets; at least one wall of said grooves forming a finite, non-normal angle with one of said optical axes; and at least one of said sheets having an axial gradient index of refraction profile.

Claim 9

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a plurality of planar sheets each having a first and a second side; said first side of a first one of said sheets forming said front surface and said second side of said first sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at ridges parallel to said grooves; said second side of a last one of said sheets forming said rear surface and said first side of said last sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at ridges parallel to said grooves; one or more intermediate one of said sheets positioned between said first and last sheets, said first and second sides of each of said intermediate sheets each having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at ridges parallel to said grooves; said ridges and grooves of adjacent ones of said sheets mating to form continuous interfaces between adjacent sheets; at least one wall of said grooves forming a finite, non-normal angle with one of said optical axes; and at least one of said sheets having an axial gradient index of refraction profile.

Claim 10

The lens of claim 7 wherein said front surface and said rear surface are each planar.

Claim 11

The lens of claim 7 wherein said first and last sheets each has an axial index of refraction profile achieves a desired optical function, said lens including one intermediate sheet having a homogeneous index of refraction.

Claim 12

The lens of claim 9 wherein said grooves of said interface between said first sheet and said intermediate sheet are parallel to said grooves of said interface between said intermediate sheet and said last sheet.

Claim 13

The lens of claim 9 wherein said axial index of refraction profile in said first sheet and said axial index of refraction profile in said last sheet acts on an incident beam so as to both change the beam's transverse dimension and redistribute the intensity distribution of the beam.

Claim 14

The lens of claim 9 wherein said grooves of said interface between said first sheet and said intermediate sheet are oriented 90 degrees about a central axis from said grooves of said interface between said intermediate sheet and said last sheet.

Claim 15

The lens of claim 7 wherein said interfaces between corresponding grooves and ridges of said adjacent sheets each comprises a wedge with its sides inclined at a predetermined angle from said optical axis.

Claim 16

The lens of claim 7 including at least two intermediate sheets and wherein at least one of said intermediate sheets has an axial index of refraction profile and at least one of said intermediate sheets has a homogeneous index of refraction.

Claim 17

The lens of claim 7 wherein said first and last sheets each has a homogeneous index of refraction, said lens including one intermediate sheet having an axial index of refraction profile which achieves a desired optical function.

Claim 18

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a first planar sheet having first and second sides and an axial index of refraction profile, said second side of said first sheet including an array of cones; a second planar sheet having first and second sides, said first side of said second sheet including an army of conical indentations corresponding to said cones of said first sheet; and said cones of said second side of said first sheet mating with said conical indentations of said first side of said second sheet to form a continuous interface from said first sheet to said second sheet.

Claim 19

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a first planar sheet having first and second sides and an axial index of refraction profile, said second side of said first sheet including an array of cones; a second planar sheet having first and second sides, said first side of said second sheet including an army of conical indentations corresponding to said cones of said first sheet; and said cones of said second side of said first sheet mating with said conical indentations of said first side of said second sheet to form a continuous interface from said first sheet to said second sheet.

Claim 20

The lens of claim 16 wherein said second sheet has an axial index of refraction profile and said cones and conical indentations have sides inclined at a predetermined angle from said optical axis and said index of refraction profiles produce the functionality of an array of spherical lenses.

Claim 21

An optical multiplexer comprising a segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a first planar sheet having first and second sides and an axial gradient index of refraction profile, said second side of said first sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at one or more ridges parallel to said grooves; a second planar sheet having first and second sides, said first side of said second sheet including a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at one or more ridges parallel to said grooves; said ridges of said second side of said first sheet mating with said grooves of said first side of said second sheet and said ridges of said first side of said second sheet mating with said grooves of said second side of said first sheet to form a continuous interface from said first sheet to said second sheet; at least one wall of said grooves forming a finite, non-normal angle with one of said optical axes; and said multiplexer further including an input port and a plurality of output ports.

Claim 22

An optical multiplexer comprising a segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a first planar sheet having first and second sides and an axial gradient index of refraction profile, said second side of said first sheet having a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at one or more ridges parallel to said grooves; a second planar sheet having first and second sides, said first side of said second sheet including a series of parallel grooves, each of said grooves including a pair of planar walls, adjacent ones of said grooves intersecting at one or more ridges parallel to said grooves; said ridges of said second side of said first sheet mating with said grooves of said first side of said second sheet and said ridges of said first side of said second sheet mating with said grooves of said second side of said first sheet to form a continuous interface from said first sheet to said second sheet; at least one wall of said grooves forming a finite, non-normal angle with one of said optical axes; and said multiplexer further including an input port and a plurality of output ports.

Claim 23

The optical multiplexer of claim 18 wherein said first sheet further includes a beam divergence section at said input port.

Claim 24

The optical multiplexer of claim 19 wherein said beam divergence section comprises a wedge.

Claim 25

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a plurality of planar adjacent sheets each having a first and a second side; said first side of a first one of said sheets forming said front surface and said second side of a last one of said sheets forming said rear surface; adjacent ones of said sheets having their respective second and first sides forming continuous interfaces with each other, said interfaces comprising either a series of mating parallel grooves and ridges or an array of mating cones and conical indentations; and at least one of said sheets having an axial gradient index of refraction profile.

Claim 26

A segmented array lens having a front surface, a rear surface and a plurality of parallel optical axes, said lens comprising: a plurality of planar adjacent sheets each having a first and a second side; said first side of a first one of said sheets forming said front surface and said second side of a last one of said sheets forming said rear surface; adjacent ones of said sheets having their respective second and first sides forming continuous interfaces with each other, said interfaces comprising either a series of mating parallel grooves and ridges or an array of mating cones and conical indentations; and at least one of said sheets having an axial gradient index of refraction profile.