Potentials of Galilean and Keplerian Liquid Crystal Zoom Lens System

摘要

This paper focuses on a non-mechanical zoom lens system using Liquid Crystal (LC). The LC lens cell is well known as an optical device of which the focal length can change nonmechanically as a lens by small electric power. The authors apply the two LC lens cells for composing the zoom lens system in which the magnification can change continuously in this paper. As two representative types of the telescopic lens, the Keplerian and the Galilean are famous. The former combines two convex lenses, while the latter combines a convex lens and a concave lens. The range of the focal length of which the LC lens cell can change is definite. It depends on the lens power, which is defined as an inverted value of the focal length. In this study, potential performances of the magnification range as the zoom lens, from the minimum to the maximum, have been estimated by simulation, comparing between the Keplerian and Galilean types. In addition, requirements of the lens power of the LC lens has been estimated. The authors have also discussed their smallest realizable size of the LC zoom lens system from the above simulation results.