On March 4, 2026, Dr. Eng. Roman Rogoziński, Professor at SUT, presented a lecture titled "Refractive Properties of Planar Gradient Microlenses (Ray-Tracing Method)". The lecture took place in room 431 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology.
The presentation discussed the possibility of using the technological method of ion exchange in glass to produce planar gradient microlenses. A proprietary ray-tracing algorithm was presented. Ray trajectory calculations based on experimental data were demonstrated. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the method for these applications.
Changes in glass refraction and the kinetics of diffusion processes predispose the discussed method to producing planar microlenses with diameters on the order of several dozen μm. This is due to the fact that the shapes of areas with altered refraction are the result of the isotropic nature of diffusion processes. Pre-diffusion processes are crucial here, in which the shape and size of the doped glass area are determined by the diameter of the mask opening. Secondary annealing processes allow, depending on the temperature and process time, to give the surfaces of constant refraction in the glass shapes similar to hemispheres. Simple technological procedures (surface grinding) enable obtaining good focusing properties. The microlenses produced are components of flat glass substrates. Therefore, they can be used to form entire arrays for various applications.
