Multiple surface expansion method for design of freeform imaging systems.

The relative aperture size and the field-of-view (FOV) are two significant parameters for optical imaging systems. However, it is difficult to improve relative aperture size and FOV simultaneously. In this paper, a freeform design method is proposed that is particularly effective for high performance systems. In this step-by-step method, the FOV is enlarged from a small initial value in equal-length steps until it reaches the full FOV; in each step, part of the area of one system surface is constructed. A freeform off-axis three-mirror imaging system with large relative aperture size and a wide FOV is designed as an example. The system operates at F/2.5 with 150 mm effective focal length and a 60° × 1° FOV. The average root-mean-square wavefront error of the system is 0.089λ (working wavelength λ = 530.5 nm).