The structure of the meniscus cylidnrical lens is characterized by a concave surface on one side and a convex surface on the other. This design makes the beam ineffective in the vertical plane, but in the horizontal plane can make the beam converge or diverge to a plane.
Divergence change: When light passes through a meniscus lens, there is no change in divergence at the axial meridian (the meridian parallel to the axis), but at the refractive power meridian (the meridian perpendicular to the axis).
Focal line formation: When parallel rays of light are projected through a cylindrical lens, a focal line is formed, which is parallel to the axis.
Refractive power changes: the refractive power of the cylindrical lens varies on each meridian and changes periodically according to the law. When an object is viewed through a moving lens, the object also moves, a phenomenon called visual image shift and rotation.
| Specifications | Commercial spec. | High precision spec. |
| Material | UV glass (quartz, fused silica） | |
| VIS glass (Schott, CDGM, HOYA, etc.) | ||
| Dimension | 5mm~350mm | |
| Dimension tolerance | ±0.1mm | ±0.05mm |
| Focal length tolerance | ±2% | ±1% |
| Surface quality | 60/40 | 40/20 |
| Centration | < 3 arc min | <1arc min |
| Surface figure | 3λ | 2λ |
| Surface irregularity | 1/4λ | 1/10λ |
| Clear aperture | >85% of dim | >90% of dim |
| Bevel | <0.2mm x 45deg | <0.1mm x 45deg |
| Coating | Up on clients' request | |
The meniscus cylindrical lens is widely used in various optical systems, mainly for correcting visual aberrations. Because of its ability to convert transmitted plane waves into cylindrical waves or cylindrical waves into plane or spherical waves, it plays an important role in optical design. In addition, the meniscus lens can be used to change the direction and shape of the beam, suitable for applications requiring one-dimensional beam shaping.
English
русский
