Optical lens are typically manufactured from homogeneous materials. A second way is to have the shape homogeneous but have the physical optical properties inhomogeneous. It is this latter aspect which this company is concentrating upon. Quite generally aside from lenses, other components can be considered for such as manufacturing process. Being amenable to computer control and calculation, gradient index optics offers possiblities which appear difficult to achieve otherwise. An added characteristic demonstrated by the company is a reduction in the number of lenses necessary as compared with non-gradient optics. The company in particular wishes to exploit this property in the manufacture of a microscope objective.
