Imaging with an inverse-designed 50 mm-diameter f/1 MWIR flat lens with enhanced field of view and depth of focus.

Abstract

We utilize inverse design and grayscale optical lithography to create a flat lens with a diameter and focal length of 50 mm, operating in the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) band. This lens demonstrates an extended depth of focus (DOF ≥±100μm), a field of view (FOV ≥20°), and an angular resolution of 300μrad. We characterize the lens's performance and use it as the primary optic in a hybrid refractive-diffractive telescope, which increases the angular resolution to 160μrad. Using this telescope, we perform video imaging of aircraft and vehicles. Our experiments were constrained by the higher f-number of the focal plane array. Nonetheless, through rigorous simulations, we demonstrate that the inverse-designed flat lens surpasses the performance of a conventional Fresnel zone plate (FZP) in DOF and in FOV, even under these limitations. The flat lens, weighing approximately 20g, is significantly lighter than its refractive counterparts, confirming the feasibility of high-resolution, lightweight MWIR imaging systems.