Spiral diopter: freeform lenses with enhanced multifocal behavior

Abstract

Lens design is of paramount importance in the evolving world of technology, where compactness and high optical performance are a necessity, ranging from smartphones and wearable devices to vehicles and virtual reality. Freeform design techniques allow us to transcend traditional limitations, but creating new optics remains a substantial challenge unless we consider unconventional physical phenomena. Here, we introduce a lens type based on freeform design, employing spiralization of one of its diopters that results in optical vortices. This enables multifocality, primarily serving needs in ophthalmology; however, its potential applications could broadly impact many other domains. In particular, this lens design could be crucial in miniaturizing emerging technologies while retaining their optical quality.