Eliminating spherical aberration by gradient-indexed lenses: Geometrical derivation and manufacturing methods

Abstract

Gradient-indexed lenses have been used to eliminate spherical aberration. The design is usually executed using numerical methods. We contribute a new way called concentric gradient-indexed lenses. This gives a new degree of freedom for gradient-indexed lenses design. Furthermore, the geometric nature of derivation makes the results analytical. By using this method, we get better insight into the problem of spherical aberration. We also suggest several manufacturing methods for gradient-indexed spherical shell materials.