Primary aberrations of meniscus Fresnel lenses

Abstract

Mathematical expressions for the primary aberrations of a thin, meniscus Fresnel lens (grooved on both surfaces) are derived and compared to the corresponding expressions for the case of a thin, flat Fresnel lens. It is shown that the only aberrations that differ are spherical aberration and line coma, both of which are independent of stop position. Moreover, a meniscus Fresnel lens has an additional degree of freedom available for aberration correction. Some applications of the theory are discussed.