Imaging-quality 3D-printed centimeter-scale lens

Three-dimensional (3D) printing of imaging-quality optics has been challenging due to the tight tolerances on surface shape and roughness. We report on manufacturing such optics with Print-optical Technology, which is based on modified ink-jet printing. We demonstrate for the first time a 3D-printed singlet lens with a surface profile deviation of +/- 500 nm within a 12-mm aperture diameter. Its RMS surface roughness is below 1 nm without surface polishing. The printed lens exhibits an imaging resolution of some 140 lp mm(-1) at 100-mm focal length in the visible region. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement