Aberration control-based design for freeform monolith

The development of space optical and optomechanical projects demands a large number of optical elements in the form of conventional, non-conventional, or both types, including surfaces and bodies. With a greater number of elements in a system comes the high cost, significant weight, complexity in assembly, and the challenge of maintaining precise alignment. To overcome these challenges, economical and efficient solutions, in terms of monolithic optical design, are preferred. When compared to typical multi-element designs, monolithic systems have a higher level of stability. A novel design methodology for modern multi-facial optics is presented, which starts with designing the surfaces individually, controlling the aberration of the succeeding surface, and then multiple optical surfaces are integrated using the analytical tools preserving the combined optical functionality of the four surfaces. With the first surface having a clear aperture of 90 mm with an opening of 33.458 mm and the proper position of the other surfaces, the focal length of 83.077 mm is achieved. We believe that our designed freeform multi-facial optical component illustrates the fascinating potential of the monolith and opens up new opportunities for fields utilizing large optical systems, including earth monitoring, planetary observation, geosciences, and astronomical studies.