Effects of axial and radial gradients on Cooke triplets.

This study investigates the role of gradient-index materials in the design of Cooke triplets for use as 35-mm format photographic objectives. Cooke triplet designs are presented with different types of gradient-index profiles. Both linear axial and shallow radial gradients are shown to provide effective control of spherical aberration and astigmatism. In particular, a Cooke triplet with a combination of both linear axial and radial gradients attains performance comparable to a six-element double Gauss lens. In virtually all cases, the use of gradient-index components improves the Cooke triplets' performance significantly.