NICOP - Development of a Multi-Actuator Adaptive Lens

Abstract

The use of deformable optical components can lead to the realization of new optical instruments including compact wearable instrumen"tation for human vision. For this purpose the use of the well-known deformable mirrors, commonly used in other applications, is not" possible. In this project we will develop deformable adaptive lenses that can be seamlessly introduced in the optical path of an op"tical instruments.Adaptive optics has been traditionally used in astronomy, laser focalization, free space telecommunications, opt"ical microscopy and in ophthalmic instruments. All adaptive optics devices are designed to perform wavefront manipulation/correction" using, in the most of the cases, deformable mirrors (DMs). The fabrication of DMs relies on nowadays mature technologies. In the st""andard configuration, a deformable mirror is controlled through a feedback loop that includes a wavefront sensor. However, the use o"f deformable mirrors may be inconvenient or altogether precluded due to the complications associated with the introduction of additi"onal reflective elements in the optical path. The introduction of a wavefront sensor further complicates the optical layout, and may" be actually impractical or impossible under certain conditions (typically whenever the use a laser-generated optical beacon is either dangerous or precluded).In the development of portable or wearable instrumentation for human vision the use of a refractive wavefront corrector may be the only option for a number of applications. In this project we will develop an adaptive lens that can correct for arbitrary aberrations without a wavefront sensor and that can be used to create new compact optical instruments for human vision or to correct for the operator eye aberration improving its eyesight.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
May 05, 2017
Source ID
N629091712058

Entities

People

  • Stefano Bonora

Organizations

  • Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
  • Office of Naval Research
  • United States Navy

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Applied Combinatorial Optimization and Logic Circuit Design.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Robotics and Automation.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects