Laser lithographic fabrication and characterization of a spherical artificial compound eye.

A spherical artificial compound eye which is comprised of an imaging microlens array and a pinhole array in the focal plane serving as receptor matrix is fabricated. The arrays are patterned on separate spherical bulk lenses by means of a special modified laser lithography system which is capable of generating structures with low shape deviation on curved surfaces. Design considerations of the imaging system are presented as well as the characterization of the comprising elements on curved surfaces, with special attention on the homogeneity over the array.

Laser-lithography on non-planar surfaces.

An extensively modified laser-lithography system specially developed for realization of micro-optical profiles on non-planar surfaces is presented. This extended system offers new possibilities of fabricating micro-optical elements without the technology related restriction of surface shape that existed so far. A diffractive lens on a convex spherical substrate is designed and fabricated as an example for hybrid achromatic refractive-diffractive elements to demonstrate the functionality of the system and the wide range of possible new applications.

Integrated free-space optical interconnect fabricated in planar optics using chirped microlens arrays.

We present a compact design for an integrated interconnect based on a hybrid imaging setup combining microchannel and conventional imaging. Within this setup the conventional imaging is performed by an aluminum-coated spherical lens. The aberrations introduced by this spherical mirror to the channels of the interconnect can be compensated by channel-wise adapted microlenses located at the in- and output interfaces.

Implementation of field lens arrays in beam-deflecting microlens array telescopes.

Laterally displaceable microlens array telescopes allow for variable and fast beam deflection. The generation of spurious light usually leads to a reduction of transfer efficiency with increasing displacement. We present the introduction of an array of field lenses on the back side of a recollimating microlens array that results in a reduced deflection angle dependency of transfer efficiency.