The Impact Of Aberrations On Imaging Performance

Even the most advanced objective lenses can suffer from optical aberrations that reduce resolution and compromise image clarity. To achieve diffraction-limited imaging—essential for today’s high-performance microscopy—lenses must be designed, fabricated, and assembled with extreme precision. Aberrations can result from material properties, geometric design flaws, or assembly errors, and multiple types often appear simultaneously.

Common aberrations include spherical aberration, where rays at different distances from the optical axis focus at varying depths, and coma, where off-axis points flare out, distorting their shape. Field curvature results in a curved focal plane, making it difficult for flat sensors to maintain sharp focus across the image. Astigmatism arises when horizontal and vertical rays focus at different depths, often due to tilt or stress in the lens assembly. Distortion, such as barrel or pincushion shapes, shifts the perceived position of objects without affecting focus, complicating mapping or calibration. Chromatic aberration, caused by wavelength-dependent refractive index variations, leads to color fringing and blurred detail.

At IDEX Health & Science, minimizing these aberrations is central to our lens design and production. Our optimized assembly process ensures tight mechanical alignment and component positioning, particularly in our XPLAN™ line, delivering consistent diffraction-limited performance. Distortion is kept low and predictable, allowing for simple correction using polynomial models.

Understanding and addressing these aberrations is critical to developing optical systems that deliver sharp, reliable imaging. IDEX invites you to explore our latest tech note or contact our team to discuss your custom imaging needs.