Encyclopedia > letter C > cylindrical lenses

Cylindrical Lenses

Author: the photonics expert Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta (RP)

Definition: lenses which focus or defocus light only in one direction

Alternative term: cylinder lens

More general term: lenses

Category: article belongs to category general optics general optics

DOI: 10.61835/fyl Cite the article: BibTex plain text HTML Link to this page LinkedIn

Cylindrical lenses (also called cylinder lenses) are optical lenses which are curved only in one direction. Therefore, they focus or defocus light only in one direction, for example in the horizontal direction but not in the vertical direction. As for ordinary lenses, their focusing or defocusing behavior can be characterized with a focal length or its inverse, the dioptric power.

Usually, the surface curvature of a cylindrical lens is of spherical type, but there are also aspheric cylindrical lenses. Further, there are cylindrical gradient-index lenses, not exhibiting any surface curvature.

Applications

Cylindrical lenses can be used to obtain a beam focus of elliptical form. That can be required, for example, for feeding light through the entrance slit of a monochromator or into an acousto-optic deflector, or for conditioning pump light for a slab laser.

There are fast axis collimators for diode bars, which are essentially cylindrical lenses – often with an aspheric shape.

Cylindrical lenses cause astigmatism of a laser beam: a mismatch of focus position for both directions. Conversely, they can also used for compensating astigmatism of a beam or an optical system. For example, they may be required for collimating the output of a laser diode such that one obtains a circular non-astigmatic beam.

More to Learn

Encyclopedia articles:

Suppliers

The RP Photonics Buyer's Guide contains 103 suppliers for cylindrical lenses. Among them:

EKSMA OPTICS

EKSMA Optics offer a selection of uncoated plano-convex and plano-concave cylindrical lenses for quick delivery. Custom cutting, edging, coating or complete fabrication can be offered on request.

Artifex Engineering

Artifex Engineering offers custom plano-convex, plano-concave or achromatic cylindrical lenses. Achromatic cylindrical lenses significantly reduce chromatic, spherical and coma aberrations. Visit our product page for more information. We look forward to your inquiry.

Knight Optical

Knight Optical‘s stock catalogue includes BK7 and UV fused silica cylindrical lenses designed to focus light across one plane rather than to a point. We currently offer 12.5mm to 150mm focal lengths, with AR-coated options available in the visible region. Custom cylindrical lenses can also be provided to meet bespoke requirements.

Shanghai Optics

Shanghai Optics offers cylindrical lenses e.g. with a dimension tolerance of ±30 μm or even ±10 μm, λ/4 or λ/8 surface irregularity and a centration better than 3 arcmin or even 1 arcmin.

Edmund Optics

Edmund Optics selection of cylinder lenses include achromatic, acylinder, plano-convex, or plano-concave. Achromatic cylinder lenses provide additional color correction by minimizing chromatic aberration. Hybrid acylinder lenses are ideal for color correction, in addition to minimizing spherical aberration. Edmund Optics offers cylinder lenses with glass or plastic substrates, or with circular, rectangular, or oblong dimensions. Multiple anti-reflection coating options are available from the ultraviolet to the infrared, including UV-AR, UV-VIS, MgF₂, VIS-NIR, VIS 0°, or NIR I. Edmund Optics offers full prescription data, in addition to 2D or 3D models.

Sinoptix

We offer cylindrical lenses up to 100 mm width, λ/4 surface quality with centering of 2 arcmin. Plano-convex cylindrical lens, plano-concave cylindrical lens, bi-concave & bi-convex cylindrical lens. Achromatic cylinder lenses are also available.

Shalom EO

Shalom EO is a specialized supplier of cylindrical lenses, we provide a full portfolio of cylindrical optical lenses including plano-convex cylindrical lenses plano-concave cylindrical lenses, fast axis collimators and slow axis collimators made of various materials such as fused silica, BK7, optical glass, BaF₂, CaF₂, MgF₂, and ZnSe, etc. Coating options include: uncoated, MgF₂ single layer, V-coating, and broadband AR coating.

With stringent inspection measures carried out using instruments like Zygo interferometer, Shalom EO’s cylindrical lenses are excellent for laser line generation, anamorphic beam shaping, and one-dimensional compression of images in laser scanners, spectroscopes, dye lasers, acousto-optics, optical processors and other similar applications.

Avantier

As the name suggests, a cylindrical lens or cylinder lens is an optical lens with a cylindrical or semi-cylindrical shape. Like a spherical lens, a cylindrical lens has one curved and one flat side. Unlike a spherical lens, however, cylindrical lenses aren’t fully symmetrical — the orientation of a cylindrical lens affects how it transmits light.

IRD Glass

IRD Glass manufactures cylindrical optics, both convex and concave, from numerous substrate materials and with optical coatings like high laser damage threshold or anti-reflection coatings. Custom solutions are available in less time than from competitors, while still offering competitive pricing.

We use custom centering equipment to locate the center of curvature and custom ripple-checking equipment to ensure form and flatness of curves. Our machining, polishing, and grinding capabilities produce radii less than 2 mm or greater than 125 mm.

DayOptics

Dayoptics' engineers have many years experience on fabrication on cylindrical lenses. We can produce the products with high precision and specification consistancy based on our advanced inspection instrument for the lenses. The material used from UV to IR are fused silica, BK7, CaF₂, S-TIH53 and others. The lens dimensions range from 1 mm × 1 mm to 100 mm × 100 mm.

Ecoptik

Ecoptik offers cylindrical lenses with different substrate shapes and high surface accuracy. As one of the best optical components manufacturers, we monitor the quality of each individual lens using Trioptics centration measurement and a Zygo GPI interferometer. All Ecoptik lenses are available both uncoated or coated with a broad range of high durability, low loss AR coatings, and can be manufactured to 20–10 surface roughness.

UM Optics

UM Optics offers both plano-convex and plano-concave cylindrical lenses based on a wide range of materials and coatings, such as CaF₂, K9, UVFS, Si, Ge and ZnSE.

Questions and Comments from Users

2020-10-14

I am wondering how I could collimate the beam from the exit of a monochromator.

The author's answer:

Assuming that it is a typical type of monochromator with an exit slit, a cylindrical lens, or alternatively a mirror with a cylindrical surface, will indeed be a good solution. Just place it such that the front focal point of the lens or mirror is at the position of the slit.

2022-08-19

How do you define centration of a cylindrical lens? Usually, suppliers write something like “centration <3 arcmin” – how do they define centration?

The author's answer:

See the paragraph “centration of lenses” in the article on lenses.

Here you can submit questions and comments. As far as they get accepted by the author, they will appear above this paragraph together with the author’s answer. The author will decide on acceptance based on certain criteria. Essentially, the issue must be of sufficiently broad interest.

Please do not enter personal data here. (See also our privacy declaration.) If you wish to receive personal feedback or consultancy from the author, please contact him, e.g. via e-mail.

By submitting the information, you give your consent to the potential publication of your inputs on our website according to our rules. (If you later retract your consent, we will delete those inputs.) As your inputs are first reviewed by the author, they may be published with some delay.