A Robust COTS Objective for Diffraction-Limited, High-NA, Long Front Working Distance Imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces a robust, all-COTS objective lens design optimized for diffraction-limited, high-NA, long working distance imaging, simplifying assembly and maintaining high performance across wavelengths and length variations.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel single-lens objective design that corrects aberrations and achieves diffraction-limited performance using only commercial lenses, with verified experimental results.

Findings

Achieves diffraction-limited resolution from 375 nm to 866 nm.

Maintains performance across a 46 mm length variation.

Provides a resolution of 0.87 μm with a 540 μm FOV at 397 nm.

Abstract

We present a robust objective lens optimized for applications requiring both high numerical aperture (NA) and long front working distance imaging comprised of all commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) singlet lenses. Unlike traditional designs that require separate collimation and refocusing stages, our approach directly converges imaged light to the back focal plane using a single lens group. Our configuration corrects spherical aberrations and efficiently collects light to achieve diffraction-limited performance across a wide range of wavelengths while simplifying alignment and assembly. Using this approach, we design and construct an example objective lens that features a long front working distance of 61 mm and a clipped NA of 0.30 (limited by an aperture in our experimental setup). We experimentally verify that it achieves monochromatic diffraction-limited resolution at wavelengths from 375 nm to 866 nm without requiring replacement of the lenses or changing the inter-lens spacings, and its performance remains robust across a 46 mm range variation in total length (by adjusting mainly the back working distances). Additionally, we develop a quantitative method to measure the field of view (FOV) using an experimentally-calibrated pinhole target. Under 397 nm illumination (i.e. from $^{40}$Ca$^+$ ion fluorescence), the objective achieves a resolution of 0.87 $\mu$m with a 540 $\mu$m FOV. This robust, all-COTS, and versatile design is well-suited for a broad range of experiments, supporting high-precision measurements and exploring quantum phenomena.