Knowledge

A spherical singlet lens has one or two surfaces ground to a constant radius of curvature — the simplest and most widely used optical lens design. Because a sphere is easier to generate, polish, and test than any other surface, spherical singlets remain the default choice for focusing, collimating, and imaging applications...

An aspheric lens has a surface curvature that changes continuously from the center to the edge, instead of staying constant like a spherical lens. That extra design freedom lets a single aspheric element correct aberrations that would otherwise take several spherical lenses to fix. Key Specifications at a Glance Parameter Typical Value...

A cylindrical lens has curvature in only one direction instead of two, so it focuses light into a line instead of a point. That one-axis behavior makes it the standard tool anywhere an optical system needs to control a beam's shape in just one dimension. Key Specifications at a Glance Parameter Typical...