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 is an important component of light field cameras and some types of light field displays.

Lens arrays are useful because they translate between angle of light and position of light.

A lens array is a microlens array if its lenses are less than 1 millimeter wide.

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

Lens arrays can be injection molded.

Materials

• Glass
• PMMA
• Fused silica

Uses

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

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

Novel

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

It is theoretically possible to make a liquid lens array, for example using water droplets.

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.

• Metalens array