Lens array

A lens array in a hexagon pattern

A lens array is a collection of lenses arranged in a pattern or grid. It is a component of light field cameras and some types of light field displays.

It may be called a hexagonal lens array.

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.

A lens array can be made from a silicone mold made with 1 mm stainless steel balls. The lens material can be epoxy resin.

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.

It is possible to make a metalens array.