Negative Abbe number radial gradient index relay, method of making, and use of same

Claim 2

A remote viewing scope, comprising: a plurality of conventional optical components having net undercorrected axial chromatic aberration; and a relay optically coupled to the plurality of conventional optical components for transmitting the image of an object to a detector, comprising at least one radial GRIN component having a negative Abbe number, in which the relay has net overcorrected axial chromatic aberration, whereby the image at the detector is substantially corrected for axial chromatic aberration.

Claim 3

The remote viewing scope of claim 1 in which the at least one radial GRIN component comprises a rod lens having an axial dimension greater than the its diameter.

Claim 4

The remote viewing scope of claim 1 in which the at least one radial GRIN component has an Abbe value in the range between negative infinity and about -50.

Claim 5

The remote viewing scope of claim 1 in which the at least one radial GRIN component has an Abbe value in the range preferably between about -500 and -175.

Claim 6

The remote viewing scope of claim 4 in which the plurality of conventional optical components comprise an objective, in which the objective is telecentric to the relay.

Claim 7

The remote viewing scope of claim 4 in which the plurality of conventional optical components further comprise a coupler lens.

Claim 8

The remote viewing scope of claim 6 in which the coupler lens comprises a Petzval lens configuration.

Claim 9

The remote viewing scope of claim 6 in which the coupler lens comprises a two doublet configuration.

Claim 10

The remote viewing scope of claim 6 in which the coupler lens comprises a radial GRIN lens having undercorrected axial color.

Claim 11

The remote viewing scope of claim 6 further comprising electronic imaging means optically coupled to the coupler lens.

Claim 12

The remote viewing scope of claim 10 in which the objective comprises a first refractive element D 1 having a first refracting surface d 1 and a second refracting surface d 2 , an aperture stop substantially in contact with surface d 1 , and a second refractive element D 2 having a first refracting surface d 3 immediately adjacent surface d 2 and a second refracting surface d 4 , the refracting surfaces each having a radius of curvature r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 , respectively; each element having a thickness tD 1 , tD 2 , respectively; and each element having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , as follows: ______________________________________ Radius of Element curvature (mm) Thickness (mm) Index ______________________________________ D.sub.1 r.sub.1 = infinity tD.sub.1 = 3.950000 n.sub.c = 1.617272 n.sub.d = 1.620409 n.sub.F = 1.627560 r.sub.2 = -3.20000 D.sub.2 r.sub.3 = 3.20000 tD.sub.2 = 3.950000 n.sub.c = 1.617272 n.sub.d = 1.620409 n.sub.F = 1.627560 r.sub.4 = infinity ______________________________________

Claim 13

The remote viewing scope of claim 10 in which the coupler lens comprises a first refractive element C 1 having a first refracting surface c 1 and a second refracting surface c 2 , a second refractive element C 2 having a first refracting surface c 3 immediately adjacent surface c 2 and a second refracting surface c 4 , and a hird refractive element C 3 having a first refracting surface c 5 immediately adjacent surface c 4 and a second refracting surface c 6 , the refracting surfaces each having a radius of curvature rc 1 , rc 2 , rc 3 , rc 4 , rc 5 and rc 6 , respectively; each element having a thickness tC 1 , tC 2 and tC 3 , respectively; C 1 and C 3 each having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , and C 2 having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , as follows: ______________________________________ Element Radius of curvature Thickness (mm) Index ______________________________________ C.sub.1 rc.sub.1 = 2.85000 tC.sub.1 = 3.575000 n.sub.c = 1.739044 n.sub.d = 1.743998 n.sub.F = 1.755689 rc.sub.2 = -9.60000 C.sub.2 rc.sub.3 = -1.30585 tC.sub.2 = 1.992000 n.sub.c = 1.682502 n.sub.d = 1.688927 n.sub.F = 1.704609 rc.sub.4 = 3.89000 C.sub.3 rc.sub.5 = infinity tC.sub.3 = 2.847000 n.sub.c = 1.739044 n.sub.d = 1.743998 n.sub.F = 1.755689 rc.sub.6 = -2.85000. ______________________________________

Claim 14

The remote viewing scope of claim 10 in which the relay comprises at least one GRIN component GR 1 having a first refractive surface g 1 immediately adjacent surface d 4 , a second refractive surface g 2 and a thickness tR 1 , the refractive surfaces all having radii of curvature equal to infinity; the GRIN component having a V number equal to about -175.

Claim 15

The remote viewing scope of claim 13 in which the relay has gradient index coefficients N 00c , N 00d , N 00F and N 10c , N 10d and N 10F in the gradient index profile expression N.sub.λ (r)=N.sub.00,λ +N.sub.10,λ r.sup.2 +. . . , as follows: ______________________________________ N.sub.00c = 1.531100 N.sub.10c = -0.1600E-02 N.sub.00d = 1.534200 N.sub.10d = -0.1597E-02 N.sub.00F = 1.540900 N.sub.10F = -0.1591E-02. ______________________________________

Claim 16

A remote viewing scope, comprising: an objective including an aperture stop, a first refractive element D 1 having a first refracting surface d 1 in contact with the aperture stop and a second refracting surface d 2 , and a second refractive element D 2 having a first refracting surface d 3 at least partially in contact with d 2 and a second refracting surface d 4 , the refracting surfaces each having a radius of curvature r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 , respectively; each element having a thickness tD 1 , tD 2 , respectively; and each element having refractive indices n c , n d and n F as follows: ______________________________________ Radius of Element curvature (mm) Thickness (mm) Index ______________________________________ D.sub.1 r.sub.1 = infinity tD.sub.1 = 3.950000 n.sub.c = 1.617272 n.sub.d = 1.620409 n.sub.F = 1.627560 r.sub.2 = -3.20000 0.000000 D.sub.2 r.sub.3 = 3.20000 tD.sub.2 = 3.950000 n.sub.c = 1.617272 n.sub.d = 1.620409 n.sub.F = 1.627560 r.sub.4 = infinity; ______________________________________ a relay optically coupled to the objective including at least one radial GRIN component GR 1 having a first refractive surface g 1 in contact with d 4 , a second refractive surface g 2 , a thickness tR 1 and a negative Abbe number, the refractive surfaces of the relay all having radii of curvature equal to infinity; the at least one GRIN component having gradient V number equal to about -175; a coupler lens optically coupled to the relay, in which the coupler lens comprises a first refractive element C 1 having a first refracting surface c 1 and a second refracting surface c 2 , a second refractive element C 2 having a first refracting surface c 3 at least partially in contact with c 2 and a second refracting surface c 4 , and a third refractive element C 3 having a first refracting surface c 5 at least partially in contact with c 4 and a second refracting surface c 6 , the refracting surfaces having a radii of curvature rc 1 , rc 2 , rc 3 , rc 4 , rc 5 and rc 6 , respectively; each element having a thickness t C1 , t C2 and t C3 , respectively; C 1 and C 3 each having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , and C 2 having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , as follows: ______________________________________ Radius of Element curvature (mm) Thickness (mm) Index ______________________________________ C.sub.1 rc.sub.1 = 2.85000 t.sub.C1 = 3.575000 n.sub.c = 1.739044 n.sub.d = 1.743998 n.sub.F = 1.755689 rc.sub.2 = -9.60000 C.sub.2 rc.sub.3 = -1.30585 t.sub.C2 = 1.992000 n.sub.c = 1.682502 n.sub.d = 1.688927 n.sub.F = 1.704609 rc.sub.4 = 3.89000 C.sub.3 rc.sub.5 = infinity t.sub.C3 = 2.847000 n.sub.c = 1.739044 n.sub.d = 1.743998 n.sub.F = 1.755689 rc.sub.6 = -2.85000; and ______________________________________ electronic imaging means optically coupled to the coupler lens comprising a filter and a CCD including an image plane.

Claim 17

A remote viewing scope, comprising: an objective including an aperture stop, a first refractive element D 1 having a first refracting surface d 1 in contact with the aperture stop and a second refracting surface d 2 , and a second refractive element D 2 having a first refracting surface d 3 at least partially in contact with d 2 and a second refracting surface d 4 , the refracting surfaces each having a radius of curvature r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 , respectively; each element having a thickness tD 1 , tD 2 , respectively; and each element having refractive indices n c , n d and n F as follows: ______________________________________ Radius of Element curvature (mm) Thickness (mm) Index ______________________________________ D.sub.1 r.sub.1 = infinity tD.sub.1 = 3.950000 n.sub.c = 1.617272 n.sub.d = 1.620409 n.sub.F = 1.627560 r.sub.2 = -3.20000 0.000000 D.sub.2 r.sub.3 = 3.20000 tD.sub.2 = 3.950000 n.sub.c = 1.617272 n.sub.d = 1.620409 n.sub.F = 1.627560 r.sub.4 = infinity; ______________________________________ a relay optically coupled to the objective including at least one radial GRIN component GR 1 having a first refractive surface g 1 in contact with d 4 , a second refractive surface g 2 , a thickness tR 1 and a negative Abbe number, the refractive surfaces of the relay all having radii of curvature equal to infinity; the at least one GRIN component having gradient V number equal to about -175; a coupler lens optically coupled to the relay, in which the coupler lens comprises a first refractive element C 1 having a first refracting surface c 1 and a second refracting surface c 2 , a second refractive element C 2 having a first refracting surface c 3 at least partially in contact with c 2 and a second refracting surface c 4 , and a third refractive element C 3 having a first refracting surface c 5 at least partially in contact with c 4 and a second refracting surface c 6 , the refracting surfaces having a radii of curvature rc 1 , rc 2 , rc 3 , rc 4 , rc 5 and rc 6 , respectively; each element having a thickness t C1 , t C2 and t C3 , respectively; C 1 and C 3 each having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , and C 2 having refractive indices n c , n d and n F , as follows: ______________________________________ Radius of Element curvature (mm) Thickness (mm) Index ______________________________________ C.sub.1 rc.sub.1 = 2.85000 t.sub.C1 = 3.575000 n.sub.c = 1.739044 n.sub.d = 1.743998 n.sub.F = 1.755689 rc.sub.2 = -9.60000 C.sub.2 rc.sub.3 = -1.30585 t.sub.C2 = 1.992000 n.sub.c = 1.682502 n.sub.d = 1.688927 n.sub.F = 1.704609 rc.sub.4 = 3.89000 C.sub.3 rc.sub.5 = infinity t.sub.C3 = 2.847000 n.sub.c = 1.739044 n.sub.d = 1.743998 n.sub.F = 1.755689 rc.sub.6 = -2.85000; and ______________________________________ electronic imaging means optically coupled to the coupler lens comprising a filter and a CCD including an image plane.

Claim 18

The remote viewing scope of claim 15 in which the relay has gradient index coefficients N 00c , N 00d , N 00F and N 10c , N 10d and N 10F in the gradient index profile expression N.sub.λ (r)=N.sub.00,λ +N.sub.10,λ r.sup.2 +. . . , as follows: ______________________________________ N.sub.00c = 1.531100 N.sub.10c = -0.1600E-02 N.sub.00d = 1.534200 N.sub.10d = -0.1597E-02 N.sub.00F = 1.540900 N.sub.10F = -0.1591E-02. ______________________________________

Claim 19

An objective for use in a remote viewing scope including a negative dispersion radial GRIN relay having overcorrected axial chromatic aberration and a viewing system having one of corrected and undercorrected axial chromatic aberration, in which the objective comprises a first plano-convex lens and a second plano-convex lens, in which at least part of the convex surfaces of the first and second lenses are adjacent, and the axial chromatic aberration of the objective is sufficiently undercorrected to substantially eliminate axial chromatic aberration in an image of an object produced by the remote viewing scope.

Claim 20

An objective for use in a remote viewing scope including a negative dispersion radial GRIN relay having overcorrected axial chromatic aberration and a viewing system having one of corrected and undercorrected axial chromatic aberration, in which the objective comprises a first plano-convex lens and a second plano-convex lens, in which at least part of the convex surfaces of the first and second lenses are adjacent, and the axial chromatic aberration of the objective is sufficiently undercorrected to substantially eliminate axial chromatic aberration in an image of an object produced by the remote viewing scope.

Claim 21

A coupler lens for use in a remote viewing scope including a negative dispersion radial GRIN relay having overcorrected axial chromatic aberration and an objective having one of corrected and undercorrected axial chromatic aberration, in which the coupler lens is sufficiently undercorrected for axial color to substantially eliminate axial chromatic aberration in an image of an object produced by the remote viewing scope.

Claim 22

A coupler lens for use in a remote viewing scope including a negative dispersion radial GRIN relay having overcorrected axial chromatic aberration and an objective having one of corrected and undercorrected axial chromatic aberration, in which the coupler lens is sufficiently undercorrected for axial color to substantially eliminate axial chromatic aberration in an image of an object produced by the remote viewing scope.

Claim 23

The coupler lens of claim 18 comprising a Petzval lens configuration.

Claim 24

The coupler lens of claim 18 comprising a biconvex crown element, a biconcave flint element and a plano-convex crown element.

Claim 25

The coupler lens of claim 18 comprising a two doublet configuration.

Claim 26

The coupler lens of claim 18 comprising a radial GRIN lens having undercorrected axial color.