Lens array

A lens array with a hexagon pattern

A lens array is a collection of lenses arranged in a specific pattern or grid. It can be used in light field cameras and light field displays.

A lens array with a lens width less than 1 millimeter is a microlens array.

Lens arrays can be found in infra-red motion detectors.

Optics

Each lens in the array has its own optical axis. However, when the array is viewed as a cohesive unit, the lenses form a shared main optical axis.

The side with the roundings should generally face towards the source of the light. In a display, this means that the user's eye faces the flat side of the array.

Manufacturing

To make a plenoptic lens based display, each lens should be at the minimum 200 pixels wide and 200 pixels long.

Materials

• Glass
• PMMA
• Fused silica

Uses

A lens array can be found in a light field camera.

Unusual

It is possible to make a microlens array using fresnel lenses.

It is theoretically possible to make a liquid lens array.

It is theoretically possible to make a lens array that has a general curve to it, like on a semisphere.

A lens array can potentially be made out of a holographic optical element.