Cylindrical Lenses And Their Applications

Optical lenses are transmissive devices that alter a light beam. By using the process of refraction, these optical devices disperse or focus a beam of light. Depending on the needs of your applications, you can select from a wide range of lenses—among your options are standard lenses, mini lenses, plano-convex and concave lenses, biconvex lenses, ball and drum lenses, and cylindrical lenses.

Cylindrical lenses are one such type of optical lenses that can be used in various industrial applications. Here’s everything you need to know about them:

What are cylindrical lenses?

Owing to their elongated shape, cylindrical lenses alter light in a singular dimension. What sets cylindrical lenses apart is that their curved surface is in a cylinder-like shape.

Since only one axis has a spherical radius, the light is condensed, magnified, or expanded in one direction only. This causes the image to be stretched, owing to the fact that the light is focused on a single dimension.

Cylindrical lenses can either be plano-convex or plano-concave—the former will focus the light beam while the latter will expand it. Depending on your needs, you can select a cylindrical lens that suits the needs of your applications.

Tower Optical manufactures a variety of cylindrical lens models, made with premium-quality BK7 or other equivalently viable materials. Each of these uncoated lenses is polished to ensure greater precision and surface quality for all industry applications.

Their applications

Cylindrical lenses offer various capabilities in industry applications. By focusing light on a thin line along one axis, they’re useful in several research and industrial applications.

Typically, cylindrical lenses are used in laser diode applications, optical data retrieval and storage systems, scanning techniques, optical metrology, spectroscopy, and optical measurement.

The three applications cylindrical lenses are most often used for are:

• Forming a laser sheet

Various techniques of optical measurement require a laser light sheet. This requires two cylindrical lenses and a collimated light source and can be used in flow visualization studies and image velocimetry.

• Forming a laser line

A cylindrical lens and laser beam can generate a laser line. By focusing the laser into a thin line, various industrial applications that require precision and accuracy can be achieved.

• To circularize an elliptical light beam

By expanding light on one dimension, cylindrical lenses can circularize the beam from a collimating lens. A cylindrical lens can shape and manipulate the beam and offer greater accuracy in various applications.

Tower Optical Corporation has perfected the complex process of cylindrical lens manufacturing over the past 40 years. With vast experience working with clients in various defense, biomedical, aerospatial, telecommunication, and optical distribution industries, we offer only the best optical solutions.

We leverage cutting-edge technology to bring affordable optical solutions so you can enjoy precise, accurate outcomes every time. Our range of products includes laser mirrors, beam expanders, optical flats, zero order waveplates, laser windows, and beamsplitters, among many others!

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our existing stock, we’ll custom produce it for you. Send in your specifications and drawings and our experienced engineers will offer custom optical solutions promptly.

Visit our website and get in touch with Tower Optical’s experts at Sales@TowerOptical.com to get started.