Microlens Arrays
A microlens array is a rigid assembly of very tiny lens (lenslets or micro lenses). This square array may include thousands or even millions of micro lenses. It can be used to homogenize light and is ideal for use in applications when high efficiency and non-gaussian uniformity are required. At Avantier, we offer both off-the-shelf microlens arrays and specialize in custom microlens arrays that precisely match our customers’ specifications.
Types of Microlens Arrays
Most of them are manufactured from UV-grade fused silica and can be produced in various focal length options. Two main configurations are commonly used: the fly’s eye condenser and the square grid, both of which are often employed in pairs.
- Fly’s Eye Condenser Arrays: A fly’s eye condenser array is formed of dual-surface cylindrical micro lenses mounted in a close-packed configuration, and are used for flat-top and line generation. They are ideal for situations in which one must work with a short working distance and also a large illuminated field.
- Square Microlens Arrays: They have a high ratio of active refracting area to total continuous area of the microlens array. This tight packing is known as a high fill factor and means zero-order hot spots in the illuminated field are eliminated. They are often used to homogenize and shape beams and can produce a square flat-top or spot pattern.
Applications
Micro lens arrays are used in a wide range of optical systems, from welding to laser ablation and fiber coupling to solar simulation and medical laser. Like natural compound eyes, they can provide an extremely large field of view angles, low aberration, and an infinite depth of field. They are not ideal where high resolution is required, as the sensitivity and resolution of the images produced is intrinsically limited.
In fiber optics, they are used to collimate the output of fiber arrays. A microlens can also be used together with a CCD array in a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, an optical instrument that can measure the wavefront shape of incident light.
Specifications
- Diameter: +0, -0.1mm
- Surface accuracy: λ/2 @633nm or better
- Thickness: ±0.2mm
- Centration: ±0.04mm
- Surface quality:20-10
- Bevel: 0.2mm typical
- Material: SK2; BK7 and more
Custom Microlens Arrays Manufacturer
Avantier utilizes methods like semiconductor processing technology and lasers material processing to manufacture the high quality microlenses and microlens assemblies.
When buying off-the-shelf products from an Microlens Arrays Manufacturer you may find yourself ordering optical components that only approximately fit your needs. Unfortunately, these approximate matches often don’t perform quite as desired. They may also make your optical systems larger and clumsier than they could be.
What if you could order the exact optical component you need, tailor-made for your application? At Avantier, we specialize in custom microlens arrays that precisely match our customers’ specifications. Talk to our optical engineers and get started on a custom design project today.
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