GRIN collimating lenses

Abstract

This chapter will discuss on how GRIN (gradient index) can be used to build a collimating lenses. e also discuss what is GRIN and all the advantages that GRIN has which is suitable to be used as a material for a collimated lens compare to all the other types of lenses. A collimating lens is a lens used to collimate light, which is to gather it together in a parallel beam. There are a lot of type lenses to construct a collimating lens which varies from fiber lenses, ball lenses, a spherical lenses, spherical singlet and doublets, GRIN lenses, microscope objectives and cylindrical lenses. Lens materials can vary from glass to plastic to silicon. By a large margin, most of the fiber optic collimators used today are made using GRIN lenses. GRIN lenses are small, easy to handle, relatively low cost, and competitive in optical performance. They do have limitations though. GRIN lenses rarely come in large size and their performance is marginal in the visible spectrum range.