SBIR Phase I:Novel High-Volume Spherical Microlens Production

This Small Business Research Program project will develop novel spherical microlenses with controlled, radially graded refractive index for advanced optical applications, including laser tracking, remote sensing, and communications, among others. Much theoretical and practical interest has focused on spherical graded index (GRIN) lenses because their spherical symmetry allows them to accept and manipulate light beams from any angle, so that orientation of the lens is unnecessary. However, production of these lenses (sometimes called fisheye or cat's eye lenses) has been impractical due to a lack of methods to produce a spherically graded index of the required profile and magnitude. The research team will develop production of spherical GRIN microlenses of high optical quality, in an economical high volume process using fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD). The team will demonstrate the feasibility of the new process at the bench scale in a binary oxide glass system and characterize the product by physical and optical techniques. If successful the benefits of success could be much better devices for atmospheric monitoring and improved automated metrology.