Pilkington Pe Limited

John M Palmer

An optical substantially afocal beam expander has a negative lens element spaced from a positive lens element. The lens elements are of different materials with respective coefficients of refractive index change with respect to temperature such that the effect of a temperature change on one element is at least partially compensated by the effect of the temperature change on the other element. The beam expander is therefore substantially athermalised with respect to afocality.

Optical beam expanders with materials chosen to effect athermalization

An infra-red optical system, such as an afocal telescope, having a beam-splitter plate located in a beam position having one valve of numerical aperture and tilted with respect to the optical axis has a single compensating plate located in a beam position having a different value of numerical aperture and tilted differently with respect to the optical axis so as to compensate for aberrations introduced by the tilted beam-splitter plate. The beam-splitter and compensating plates are preferably tilted about respective first and second axes orthogonal to the optical axis and lying on mutually orthogonal planes.

Infra-red optical systems

An apochromatic catadioptric lens is provided which can operate in the 3 to 5 and the 8 to 12 micron wavebands. The lens comprises a primary mirror having an opening and a Mangin secondary mirror for directing light of the required wavebands through the opening. In the light paths between the primary mirror and Mangin secondary mirror are a pair of refracting lens elements of optically transmissive materials different from each other and from that of the Mangin secondary mirror. Preferably, the Mangin secondary mirror is of germanium, the refracting lens element of the pair nearer the Mangin secondary mirror is of zinc sulphide and the refracting lens element of the pair further from the Mangin secondary mirror is of zinc selenide. The invention also extends to an afocal telescope of non-Galilean form incorporating such a lens.

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Clwyd, United Kingdom

John M Palmer