Techniques for reducing distortion of optical beam shaping elements
According to embodiments of the present invention, an apparatus comprising a beam shaping element (lens) is provided. The apparatus comprises a substrate; a beam shaping element; and an elastic intermediate layer disposed between, and in contact with, the substrate and the beam shaping element, wherein the elastic intermediate layer has a Young's Modulus in a range of 2-600 MPa and a Poisson's ratio in a range of 0.2-0.5. Techniques for reducing thermal distortion of lens are described.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a solid substrate;
a solid lens; and
an elastic intermediate layer disposed between, and in direct contact with, the substrate and the lens, wherein the elastic intermediate layer has a Young's Modulus in a range of 2 - 600MPa and a Poisson's ratio in a range of 0.2 - 0.5,
wherein the solid substrate, the lens and the elastic intermediate layer form a stack having an optical axis that passes through each of the substrate, the lens and the intermediate layer.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elastic intermediate layer has a Poisson's ratio in a range of 0.3 - 0.5.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elastic intermediate layer has a linear CTE in a range of 30 to 400 E-6/K at room temperature.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elastic intermediate layer is in contact with an entire surface of the lens that faces the substrate.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lens is replicated onto a surface of the elastic intermediate layer.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lens is composed of a plastic material.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the substrate is composed of a glass or plastic material.
8. An optoelectronic module comprising:
a light sensitive element; and
an optical assembly disposed so as to focus light toward the light sensitive element, wherein the optical assembly includes:
a solid substrate;
a solid lens; and
an elastic intermediate layer disposed between, and in direct contact with, the substrate and the lens, wherein the elastic intermediate layer has a Young's Modulus in a range of 2 - 600 MPa and a Poisson's ratio in a range of 0.2 - 0.5,
wherein the solid substrate, the lens and the elastic intermediate layer form a stack having an optical axis that passes through each of the substrate, the lens and the intermediate layer.
9. An optoelectronic module comprising:
a light emitting element; and
an optical assembly disposed so as to direct light emitted by the light emitting element out of the module, wherein the optical assembly includes:
a solid substrate;
a solid lens; and
an elastic intermediate layer disposed between, and in direct contact with, the substrate and the lens, wherein the elastic intermediate layer has a Young's Modulus in a range of 2 - 600 MPa and a Poisson's ratio in a range of 0.2 - 0.5,
wherein the solid substrate, the lens and the elastic intermediate layer form a stack having an optical axis that passes through each of the substrate, the lens and the intermediate layer.