Disclosed is a holding system for supporting a wafer having a first surface, a second surface and a third surface joining the first and second surfaces, and an optical element having a first surface, a second surface and a third surface joining the first and second surfaces, the holding system including: a support including first support unit configured to support the second and/or third surface of the wafer and second support unit configured to support the second and/or third surface of the optical element; a positioning unit configured to position the second surface of the wafer relative to the first surface of the optical element; and a mechanical unit configured to move the first and second support units one relative to the other so as to move the second surface of the wafer and the first surface of the optical element to form an optical system.

An optic configured for variable wavefront shaping of electromagnetic radiation comprises first and second optical elements each including a solidified heterogeneous coalescence of nanocomposite material providing respective first and second complex dielectric-function gradients. The first and second optical elements are arranged in tandem along an optical axis and together provide wavefront shaping that varies in dependence on a displacement of the first optical element relative to the second optical element.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ophthalmic lens having at least one optical function, comprising the step (200) of providing a starting optical system of the lens, having a basic optical function and the step (500) of additively manufacturing an additional optical element of the lens, by deposition of multiple predetermined bulking components made of at least one material having a predetermined refractive index, directly onto the front surface and/or the rear surface of the starting optical system; wherein the additive manufacturing step comprises the step of determining a manufacturing guideline for the additional optical element on the basis of the characteristics of said at least one optical function to be provided to the lens, the characteristics of said at least one basic optical function, the geometric characteristics of the starting optical system, and the predetermined refractive index of the material.

A composite optical element comprises a first base member, an optical resin layer, a bonding layer, and a second base member which are sequentially laminated such that the optical resin layer and the bonding layer are sandwiched between light entering/exiting surfaces of the first base member and the second base member. The thickness of the bonding layer changes along a straight line extending from the center toward the outer periphery of the bonding layer. Specifically, the thickness along the straight line is greater at an intermediate position between a first position and a second position than either of the thicknesses at the first position and at the second position. The first position is apart from the center by 0.8 times of half the diameter of the optical resin layer, and the second position corresponds to the outer periphery of the bonding layer.

Chalcogenide lens elements and methods of manufacturing such lens elements are provided. In one example, a method includes depositing a first chalcogenide layer on a substrate. The method further includes applying a first stamp to the first chalcogenide layer. The method further includes reflowing, in response to applying the first stamp, the first chalcogenide layer to form a first shaped chalcogenide layer. The method may further include singulating the substrate and the first shaped chalcogenide layer to obtain a plurality of chalcogenide lens elements.

A process for automatically gluing a photochromic lens, includes: supplying an adhesive comprising photochromic molecules; supplying an external lens; supplying a polarizing film from a reel; forming the polarizing film on a spherical mold; applying a first portion of the adhesive to the polarizing film positioned on the spherical mold; compressing the polarizing film and the external lens, while measuring a thickness of the first portion of the adhesive therebetween; supplying an internal lens; applying a second portion of the adhesive to the internal lens; compressing the internal lens and the external lens having the polarizing film formed thereon, while measuring a thickness of the second portion of the adhesive therebetween using a measuring device; stopping the compression of the internal lens and the external lens; cutting excess polarizing film; and catalyzing the adhesive to form the glued photochromic lens.

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for annealing a chalcogenide lens at an elevated temperature to accelerate release of internal stress within the chalcogenide lens caused during a molding process that formed the chalcogenide lens. In particular, the annealing process includes gradually heating the chalcogenide lens to a dwell temperature, maintaining the chalcogenide lens at the dwell temperature for a predetermined period of time, and gradually cooling the chalcogenide lens from the dwell temperature. The annealing process stabilizes the shape, the effective focal length, and/or the modulation transfer function of the chalcogenide lens. Associated optical assemblies and infrared imaging devices are also described.

A composite optical element comprises a first base member, an optical resin layer, a bonding layer, and a second base member which are sequentially laminated such that the optical resin layer and the bonding layer are sandwiched between light entering/exiting surfaces of the first base member and the second base member. The thickness of the bonding layer changes along a straight line extending from the center toward the outer periphery of the bonding layer. Specifically, the thickness along the straight line is greater at an intermediate position between a first position and a second position than either of the thicknesses at the first position and at the second position. The first position is apart from the center by 0.8 times of half the diameter of the optical resin layer, and the second position corresponds to the outer periphery of the bonding layer.

Described herein is method of co-molding an optical lens includes injection-molding a first layer, injection-molding a second layer against at least a portion of the molded first layer to form a co-molded blank, and forming the optical lens from the co-molded blank. Co-molding apparatuses for implementing this and other co-molding methods are also described.

A lens assembly includes a tube in which optical elements such as lenses or micro-lenses are individually fabricated by dispensing a volume of curable optical polymer into the tube, forming the desired shape for the optical element using one or more plungers having heads corresponding to a desired lensing curvature, applying radiant energy to the tube with the plungers in place to cure the optical polymer, and repeating as needed until the desired number of optical elements are fabricated within the lens assembly which may then be integrated as a single piece into a mobile or wearable device.