Although cylindrical lenses are not as well-known as convex or concave lenses, they play an important role in many applications due to their unique functionality. This article explores the basic principles of cylindrical lenses and introduces the types, manufacturing materials, and applications of cylindrical lenses.

1、 Cylindrical lens

A cylindrical lens, as the name suggests, has a cylindrical shape on at least one cross-section. Unlike spherical lenses, which focus or disperse light uniformly in all directions, cylindrical lenses are designed to guide light into one dimension. This unique feature makes them very valuable for applications where other lenses simply cannot provide the required accuracy.

2、 Working principle of cylindrical lens

The unique shape of cylindrical lenses enables them to focus light from sources such as lasers into a straight line. The ability to control light in a single dimension, whether by compressing or expanding light, makes cylindrical lenses very versatile. Its design enables precise bending and focusing of light to meet specific application requirements.

3、 Types of cylindrical lenses

Plano convex cylindrical lens: This type of lens has one side being flat and the other side being convex.

Flat concave cylindrical lens: This type of lens has a flat surface on one side and a concave surface on the other side.

Double convex cylindrical lens: both sides are convex.

Double concave cylindrical lens: both sides are concave.

Curved crescent cylindrical lens: shaped like a crescent, with one side convex and the other concave.

Columnar intersecting cylindrical lens: It has a special columnar intersecting structure.

Irregular shaped cylindrical lens: designed according to specific requirements for irregular shapes.

4、 Application of Cylindrical Lens

Correction of astigmatism: Align with the direction of astigmatism, concentrate the light on a single plane, and correct distorted or blurred images.

Laser beam shape correction: Reshaping laser beams, especially in semiconductor lasers, to improve quality and circular contours.

Spectroscopy: Adjust the spatial and spectral characteristics of light in spectroscopy use cases (such as gratings).

Laser line scanning: shaping a laser beam into a straight line for use in 3D metrology and quality control.

Microscopy: Improving confocal microscopy by shaping the laser beam, correcting aberrations, and increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in fluorescence microscopy.

Typically, the light emitted by semiconductor laser tubes has an elliptical profile that requires correction