Macroscopic has obvious five faces and can be adjusted by changing its structure, which enriches the observation of microscopic world and expands the research space of micro optical physics.
The research team of professor Li Jianjun in Beijing Institute of technology designed and fabricated a structure that could be adjusted by changing its size, shape and curvature. The research results were published in Optics Letters on January 22.
As is known to all, the observation of microscope mainly uses refraction to form an enlarged or reduced image of an object. Refraction is caused by the change of light speed in different mediums. In the process of observation, the incident light will be refracted when it passes through the surface of the object, and the image will be formed by the refraction of the lens.
Theoretically, the number of times of refraction is infinite, but in practice, it is determined by the medium between the object and the lens. The air is the best medium because its refractive index is closest to 1.
Therefore, in order to obtain a clearer image, the lens and the object must be in the same medium, which is why the microscope needs to be filled with water.
However, in this way, the distance between the lens and the object is also fixed, and it is not easy to focus.
Changing the structure of the lens will also change the refractive index of the lens itself, so that the distance between the lens and the object can be adjusted. As a result, the focus position can be moved by adjusting the structure, which is convenient for observation.
The research team led by Professor Li Jianjun designed and fabricated a structure that could be adjusted by changing its size, shape, and curvature. The optical system composed of this kind of lens is called an "adjustable penta prisms", which can be used to observe the microscopic world in a new way.
The research team used computer simulation to calculate the ideal structure of the lens, and then fabricated it by using the technology of two-photon polymerization.
The research results show that the structure of the lens can be adjusted by changing the size, shape and curvature of the lens.
The research team also used this lens to observe the microscopic world. The results showed that the images of the objects observed by the lens were clear and the field of view was wide.
The research results open up a new refraction perspective for observing the microscopic world, and provide a new way for the development of micro optical devices.