An imaging device is presented for use in an imaging system capable of improving the image quality. The imaging device has one or more optical systems defining an effective aperture of the imaging device. The imaging device comprises a lens system having an algebraic representation matrix of a diagonalized form defining a first Condition Number, and a phase encoder utility adapted to effect a second Condition Number of an algebraic representation matrix of the imaging device, smaller than said first Condition Number of the lens system.

An optical imaging system includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, and a sixth lens sequentially arranged on an optical axis from an object side to an image side, wherein an image-side surface of the first lens and an image-side surface of the sixth lens may be concave, and 0.7<TL/f<1.0 and |Nd2−Nd3|<0.2 in which TL may be a distance from an object-side surface of the first lens to an imaging plane, f may be an overall focal length of the optical imaging system, Nd2 may be a refractive index of the second lens, and Nd3 may be a refractive index of the third lens.

An optical imaging lens assembly includes seven lens elements which are, in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The seventh lens element has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. At least one of an object-side surface and the image-side surface of the seventh lens element has at least one critical point in an off-axis region thereof. The object-side surface and the image-side surface of the seventh lens element are both aspheric.

The zoom lens consists of, in order from the object side, a first lens group that has a negative refractive power; a second lens group that has a positive refractive power; a third lens group that has a negative refractive power; and a fourth lens group that has a positive refractive power. During zooming, in each lens group, distances between the adjacent groups in the direction of the optical axis are changed. The first lens group consists of, in order from the object side, a first lens having a negative refractive power, a second lens having a negative refractive power, and a third lens having a positive refractive power. The third lens group consists of a negative lens. During focusing, only the third lens group moves along the optical axis. The zoom lens satisfies predetermined conditional expressions.

Systems and methods are described for a wide field of view (WFOV) optical doublet system. The system includes a first lens. The first lens has a first surface facing a viewer side of the system and a second surface facing away from the viewer side. The first lens has a positive refractive power. The system includes a second lens. The second lens has a first surface facing the first lens and a second surface facing away from the first lens. The second lens has a positive refractive power. The system includes a display panel. The display panel has a display surface facing the second surface of the second lens. The first lens, the second lens, and the display panel are configured in order from the viewer side along an optical axis of the system. Only one surface of either the first lens or the second lens is a diffractive surface and only two surfaces are Fresnel surfaces. In operation, light from an image displayed on the display surface enters the system through the second surface of the second lens and is magnified and presented in a system exit pupil. The system exit pupil is on the viewer side and a field of view presented to the viewer is at least eighty (80) degrees.

In various embodiments, a pancake lens block including a shaped reflective polarizer is described. In an embodiment, the shaped reflective polarizer may include an optical element that may be configured to transmit at least a portion of light from a light source. Further, the shaped reflective polarizer may include a wire-grid polarizer that comprises (i) a bolstering substrate, (ii) a wire-grid substrate coupled to the bolstering substrate, and (iii) wire-grids disposed on the wire-grid substrate. The shaped reflective polarizer may be spaced from the optical element by a distance, which may include a cavity filled with a material (such as air or a nanovoided material).

A polarizing beam splitter assembly for directing image light on an input path into multiple exit light paths comprises multiple prisms with edges that meet to form a seam. The polarizing beam splitter assembly includes a diffracting element prior to the seam in the input light path. The diffracting element comprises a geometry that performs at least one of blocking a portion of the image light and scattering a portion of the image light.

Embodiments describe optical imagers that include one or more micro-optic components. Some imagers can be passive imagers that include a light detection system for receiving ambient light from a field. Some imagers can be active imagers that include a light emission system in addition to the light detection system. The light emission system can be configured to emit light into the field such that emitted light is reflected off surfaces of an object in the field and received by the light detection system. In some embodiments, the light detection system and/or the light emission system includes micro-optic components for improving operational performance.

An optical imaging system includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, and a sixth lens sequentially arranged on an optical axis from an object side to an image side, wherein an image-side surface of the first lens and an image-side surface of the sixth lens may be concave, and 0.7<TL/f<1.0 and |Nd2-Nd3|<0.2 in which TL may be a distance from an object-side surface of the first lens to an imaging plane, f may be an overall focal length of the optical imaging system, Nd2 may be a refractive index of the second lens, and Nd3 may be a refractive index of the third lens.

A zoom lens (ZL) comprises, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having negative refractive power; an aperture stop (S); a second lens group (G2) having positive refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having negative refractive power; and a fourth lens group (G4) having positive refractive power. In this zoom lens (ZL), upon zooming from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the aperture stop (S) and the first lens group (G1), a distance between the aperture stop (S) and the second lens group (G2), and a distance between the aperture stop (S) and the third lens group (G3) are changed and the aperture stop (S) is moved in an optical axis direction.