Definition of ball lens

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Photonics Dictionary

ball lens: A ball lens is a small, spherical optical component typically made of glass or other transparent materials. It is characterized by its spherical shape, with both its front and back surfaces forming segments of a sphere. The diameter of a ball lens is typically small, ranging from fractions of a millimeter to a few millimeters.

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Ball lenses are used in various optical systems and applications, primarily for focusing or collimating light. Due to their symmetrical shape, ball lenses exhibit unique optical properties:

Focusing: When light passes through a ball lens, it converges to a focal point on the opposite side of the lens. The focal length of a ball lens depends on its radius of curvature and the refractive index of the material from which it is made.

Collimation: Conversely, when light emanates from a point source located at the focal point of a ball lens, it exits the lens as a collimated beam with minimal divergence. This property makes ball lenses useful for collimating light sources or coupling light between optical fibers.

Ball lenses find applications in various fields, including telecommunications, fiber optics, laser diode coupling, microscopy, and optical sensing. Some common uses of ball lenses include:

Fiber optic coupling: Ball lenses are often used to couple light into or out of optical fibers, helping to efficiently transmit or receive light signals in fiber optic communication systems.

Microscopy: In microscopy, ball lenses can be incorporated into optical systems to enhance resolution, improve depth of field, or create specialized illumination patterns.

Optical sensing: Ball lenses are used in optical sensors and detectors to focus or collimate light onto photodetectors, enabling precise measurement of light intensity or spectral characteristics.

Laser diode collimation: Ball lenses are employed to collimate the divergent output beam of laser diodes, ensuring uniform and efficient propagation of laser light.

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