Hybrid Lens Design for Correction of Aberrations

Hybrid lenses combine the advantages of classic refractive components and diffractive structures, and hence have become a promising approach in different optical applications. In particular, the opposite signs of the dispersion for refractive and diffractive surfaces enable the correction of chromatic aberrations.

In order to model and design such a hybrid element accurately, the in-depth analysis of diffraction effects through the system is a necessity. VirtualLab Fusion’s fast physical optics propagation techniques allow for the accurate modeling of classic lenses and calculation of the diffraction efficiencies of the different orders of a diffractive lens.

To illustrate the capabilities of the software in this regard, we compare the models of a refractive and hybrid eyepiece. In this example, the propagation of light and the corresponding chromatic effects are investigated for on-axis as well as off-axis beams at different wavelengths.