Multilayer polymer gradient index (GRIN) lenses

1. A gradient index lens comprised of a multilayered composite GRIN sheet;

wherein said multilayered composite sheet is comprised of a plurality of at least two multilayered polymer composite films;

wherein each of said multilayered polymer composite films is comprised of a plurality of at least two alternating layers (A) and (B) represented by formula (AB) x , where x=2 n , and n is in the range of from 4 to 18;

wherein layer (A) is comprised of component (a) and layer (B) is comprised of component (b); and

wherein said components (a) and (b) exhibit a different refractive index.

2. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said components (a) and (b) are selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, a composite polymer and a polymer blend.

3. The lens of claim 2 , wherein said polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of a glassy material, a crystalline material and an elastomeric material.

4. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said layers have a thickness of from 5 nm to 1,000 μm.

5. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said multilayered composite polymer films are stacked in ordered layers to form a hierarchical multilayered composite GRIN sheet; and wherein adjacent multilayered composite polymer films are chosen to exhibit progressively different refractive indexes.

6. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said multilayered composite polymer film comprises at least 10 alternating layers.

7. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said multilayered composite polymer film comprises in the range of from 50 to 500,000 alternating layers.

8. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet is comprised of from 5 to 100,000 multilayered polymer composite films.

9. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet is comprised of from 20 to 10,000 multilayered polymer composite films.

10. The lens of claim 1 , wherein components (a) and (b) are chemically the same materials.

11. The lens of claim 2 , wherein said polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of a polyethylene naphthalate, an isomer thereof, a polyalkylene terephthalate, a polyimide, a polyetherimide, a styrenic polymer, a polycarbonate, a poly(meth)acrylate, a cellulose derivative, a polyalkylene polymer, a fluorinated polymer, a chlorinated polymer, a polysulfone, a polyethersulfone, polyacrylonitrile, a polyamide, polyvinylacetate, a polyether-amide, a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer, a styrene-ethylene copolymer, poly(ethylene-1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate), an acrylic rubber, isoprene, isobutylene-isoprene, butadiene rubber, butadiene-styrene-vinyl pyridine, butyl rubber, polyethylene, chloroprene, epichlorohydrin rubber, ethylene-propylene, ethylene-propylene-diene, nitrile-butadiene, polyisoprene, silicon rubber, styrene-butadiene, and urethane rubber.

12. The lens of claim 2 wherein said polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of a block and a graft copolymer.

13. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said layers further comprise an organic or inorganic material designed to affect the refractive index.

14. The lens of claim 1 , exhibiting an index gradient of 0.01 or higher.

15. The lens of claim 1 , exhibiting an index gradient in the range of from 0.02 to 1.0.

16. The lens of claim 1 , exhibiting an index gradient in the range of from 0.05 to 0.5.

17. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said components (a) and (b) are miscible, immiscible or partially miscible polymeric materials.

18. The lens of claim 1 , wherein said lens is selected from the group consisting of an axial, a radial and a spherical GRIN lens.

19. A method of fabricating the lens of claim 1 , comprising fabricating the multilayered composite GRIN sheet by forming a set of multilayered polymer composite films comprised of alternating layers (A) and (B); assembling said films into a multilayered composite GRIN sheet; and forming the gradient index lens by slicing and shaping the multilayered composite GRIN sheets.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet exhibits an internal transmission greater than 20%.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet exhibits an internal transmission greater than 50%.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the refractive index of said multilayered composite GRIN sheet is varied mechanically by pressure, tension, compression, shear or a combination of these stresses.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet comprises from 5 to 100,000 multilayered polymer composite films.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet comprises 20 to 10,000 multilayered polymer composite films.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet has an overall thickness ranging from 10 nm to 10 cm.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet has an overall thickness ranging from 25 mm to 3 cm.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered composite GRIN sheet is formed into an axial, a radial or a spherical lens.

28. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multilayered polymer composite films exhibit different refractive indexes.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein said differences in refractive indexes is accomplished by altering the relative thickness of layers (A) and (B).

30. The method of claim 1 , wherein said multilayered polymer composite film or multilayered composite GRIN sheet is oriented.

31. A gradient index lens comprised of a multilayered composite structure; wherein said multilayered composite structure is comprised of a plurality of at least two multilayered polymer composite films;

wherein each of said multilayered polymer composite films is comprised of a plurality of at least three alternating layers (A), (B) and (C) represented by formula (ABC) x , where x=2 n , and n is in the range of from 4 to 18;

wherein layer (A) is comprised of component (a), layer (B) is comprised of component (b), and layer (C) is comprised of component (c); and wherein said components (a), (b) and (c) exhibit a different refractive index.