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Cylindrical Lenses: Functions and Applications

Amid rapid technological advancement and rising living standards, optoelectronic products have seamlessly integrated into daily life, enhancing experiences while constantly evolving to meet market demands.

The Rise of Cylindrical Lenses

As green, low-carbon initiatives become a global priority, the balance between technological progress and environmental protection drives innovation. Intelligent fax/scanners enable paperless offices, barcode scanners boost efficiency, advanced medical devices improve treatments while reducing patient discomfort, and sophisticated cameras capture life's moments.

While image monitoring and imaging systems provide unparalleled security and comfort, one critical optical component often goes unnoticed: the cylindrical lens.

Fundamental Principles

Conventional optical systems employ spherical or planar elements (lenses, beamsplitters, mirrors). Cylindrical lenses—as aspheric components—effectively reduce spherical and chromatic aberrations. Classified as plano-convex, plano-concave, biconvex, or biconcave, they provide one-dimensional magnification.

Core Functionality

Cylindrical lenses modify image dimensions—converting point sources into line spots or altering image height without changing width. Their unique optical properties enable diverse applications across rapidly evolving high-tech fields.

Key Applications

• Line focusing systems

• Film projection/capture systems

• Fax/printing scanning imaging

• Medical endoscopes (gastroscopes, laparoscopes)

• Automotive video systems

• Linear detector illumination

• Barcode scanning

• Holographic illumination

• Optical information processing

• Laser diode systems

• High-power laser systems

• Synchrotron radiation beamlines

Manufacturing Advancements

Continuous refinement of cylindrical lens production has established mature, efficient processes. Excellent batch-to-batch consistency and reproducibility have gained significant market recognition, progressively replacing outdated traditional methods.

Advanced Implementations

1. Transforming Collimated Beams into Line Sources
(Most common application)
As illustrated below, a collimated beam with radius r₀ enters a plano-concave cylindrical lens (focal length = -f). The beam diverges at semi-angle θ (θ=r₀/f), functionally equivalent to a point source at focal point -f.
(Diagram placeholder: [Insert schematic showing beam transformation])

2. Laser Diode Beam Collimation
Collimating asymmetrically diverging laser diode beams (e.g., θ₁×θ₂=10°×40°) presents challenges. Standard spherical lenses collimate only one axis while diverging/converging the other. Cylindrical lenses solve this by separating collimation into orthogonal axes using paired lenses.

Critical Design Rules:

1. 1.Focal Length Ratio: For uniform/symmetric spots, f₁/f₂ ≈ θ₁/θ₂

2. 2.Placement: Treat diode as point source; place each lens at its focal length from source

3. 3.Optical Path:

   • Distance between principal planes: |f₂ – f₁|

   • Actual lens spacing: |BFL₂ – BFL₁|

   • Orient convex surfaces toward collimated path to minimize aberrations

4. 4.Clear Aperture: Ensure beam width at each lens position ≤ its clear aperture. Maximum width at distance f from diode: d_max = d₀ + 2f·tan(θ/2)