Correction of 2D-telecentric scan systems with freeform surfaces.

Abstract

For scanning systems the resolution, distortion as well as the telecentricity are important performance criteria. For two-dimensional scanning systems, scan mirrors deflecting in only one transverse direction are not allowing for telecentricity in x and y simultaneously in case of an axisymmetric system. It is possible to achieve two-dimensional telecentricity by splitting the pupils in x- and y-direction and shifting the principal planes in one dimension by changing the focal power using an anamorphic setup. However, for higher specifications concerning a large aperture and wide scanning angle, using cylindrical lenses are not enough to achieve a good system quality. It has been proved in many researches that freeform surfaces are effective to improve the resolution of systems without rotational symmetry. In this work, a systematic case study is presented to investigate the potential of freeform surfaces to improve the resolution, telecentricity, and distortion simultaneously. It is shown as a result that freeform surfaces offer large correction ability in all the three aspects concerning high specifications of 2D-telecentric anamorphic scan systems. This contribution provides the insight into the application of freeform surfaces in non-rotationally symmetric optical systems with refractive components.