MICRO-OPTIC CELL DESIGN RANDOMLY POSITIONED LENSLETS AND STATISTICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A MICRO-LENS ARRAY
A micro-optic cell design with randomly positioned lenslets is provided herein that uses statistical reconstruction of a micro-lens array. A method of making an optical element, which includes a micro-optic unit cell comprising one or more lenslets, is also disclosed.
1 . An optical element comprising a micro-optic unit cell comprising one or more lenslets.
2 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslets are randomly positioned.
3 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein an intensity or irradiance profile of the micro-optic unit cell comprises a flat top, a gradient, or mixtures thereof.
4 . The optical element of claim 1 further comprising coherent or incoherent light source.
5 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the boundary shape of the lenslet comprises a square, a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse, a hexagon, a star, a cross, a logo, a generic geometrical shape with enclosed boundary(ies) or mixtures thereof.
6 . The optical element of claim 1 comprising a flat top.
7 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslets are uniformly distributed within the micro-optic unit cell.
8 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein a size of the micro-optic unit cell is based on lenslet size, beam size or source size, and/or shape of the optical element.
9 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslets wrap around one or more edges of the micro-optic unit cell.
10 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the lenslet comprises a size of about 20-500 micrometers.
11 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the micro-optic unit cell comprises a size in the range of about 0.5-4 millimeters.
12 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the micro-lens array comprises a size of about 3 millimeters to about 6 inches having repeated micro-optic unit cells.
13 . A method of making an optical element comprising a micro-optic unit cell comprising one or more lenslets comprising a first process of randomization based on statistical uniform distribution functions of a full area of the unit cell and a second process of randomization based on correcting a statistical uniform distribution function to in fill one or more deformed areas within the unit cell.
14 . The method of claim 13 comprising a photolithography process to make a master or a part.
15 . The method of claim 13 comprising use of a direct write laser machine to make a master or a part.
16 . The method of claim 13 comprising a rubber master, a glass master, a metal master, or any solid material, which can be formed for replication.
17 . The method of claim 13 comprising parts made of an optical material such as glass, metal, plastic, or any other solid material, which can be formed by replication.
18 . The optical element of claim 1 wherein the boundary shapes are either all centered or all not centered about the optical axis of the lenslet in the unit cell.
19 . The optical element of claim 1 where the lenslets have the same size and shape initially.
20 . The optical element of claim 1 where the lenslets have the same orientation (not rotated) with respect to each other.