Introduction and Application of Cylinder Lens

The optical lens is a transmission device that changes the light beam. By using a refraction process, these optical devices can disperse or focus the light beam. Depending on your application needs, you can choose from a variety of lenses-you can choose standard lenses, mini lenses, plano convex and concave lenses, bi-convex lenses, spherical and drum lenses, and cylinder lens. Cylinder lens is an optical lens that can be used in various industrial applications.

1. Introduction of cylinder lens

Due to its elongated shape, the cylinder lens can change the size of the light. What makes cylinder lenses unique is that their curved surfaces are cylindrical. Since only one axis has a spherical radius, the light converges, magnifies, or expands in only one direction. Because the light is concentrated in one dimension, it causes the image to be stretched. The cylinder lens can be a plano convex lens or a plano concave lens. The former will focus the beam and the latter will expand the beam. According to your needs, you can choose a cylindrical lens that suits your application needs.

2. Application of cylinder lens

Cylinder lens provide various functions in industrial applications. By focusing light on a thread along an axis, they can be used in a variety of research and industrial applications. Generally, cylinder lenses are used in laser diode applications, optical data retrieval and storage systems, scanning technology, optical metrology, spectroscopy, and optical measurement. Cylinder lenses are most commonly used in the following three applications:

(1) Forming a laser sheet

Various optical measurement techniques require laser sheets. This requires two cylinder lenses and a collimated light source, and can be used for flow visualization research and image velocity measurement.

(2) Forming a laser line

Cylinder lens and laser beam can produce laser line. By focusing the laser into a thin line, various industrial applications requiring precision and accuracy can be realized.

(3) Circularized elliptical beam

By expanding the light in one dimension, the cylinder lens can round the beam from the collimator lens. Cylinder lenses can shape and manipulate the beam and provide higher precision in various applications.

The achromatic cylindrical lens of BRD Optical can minimize chromatic aberration, so this cylindrical lens can be used to focus a single direction of multi-color light beams. Unlike a spherical lens that produces a point focusing spot, an achromatic cylindrical lens can produce a linear focusing spot. For ease of use, our cylindrical achromatic double-pieces are pre-installed in a 1-inch housing. The case is engraved with the part number, the range of the added projection film, the focal length, and the arrow indicating the direction the lens should face when the quasi-linear light source is used. There is also an infinity symbol for infinite conjugate ratio on the shell.

As one of the professional optical components companies, BRD Optical can provide a variety of achromatic cylinder lenses. If you have any needs, please feel free to contact us.