What happens if I place light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principle axis of cylindrical lens?

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In summary, placing light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principal axis of a cylindrical lens results in the formation of an elongated image or a line of focus rather than a point. This occurs because cylindrical lenses only focus light in one direction, leading to astigmatism where different meridians of the image are focused at varying distances. Consequently, the resulting image will be distorted, highlighting the lens's unique optical properties.
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TL;DR Summary
what happens if I place light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principle axis of cylindrical lens?
I want to know that if I place light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principle axis of the cylindrical lens, do all light beams diverge in the same way?
Assume all light sources are lasers of having same wavelength and beam divergence
Also how extent can i minimize interference?
 
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Welcome to PF, Tony. :smile:

Tony_Stark said:
TL;DR Summary: what happens if I place light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principle axis of cylindrical lens?

I want to know that if I place light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principle axis of the cylindrical lens, do all light beams diverge in the same way?
Assume all light sources are lasers of having same wavelength and beam divergence
Also how extent can i minimize interference?
The better you can ask your question, the better answers you will get here. If I understand your post, light sources distributed in one direction on that plane will all act the same through the cylindrical lens. Light sources in the perpendicular direction on that plane will act very differently. So I'm probably not understanding the question. Could you please upload a diagram illustrating your question? (Use the "Attach files" link below the Edit window). Thanks.

1700013610782.png

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-axes-and-planes-of-the-cylindrical-lens_fig3_258807960
 
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FAQ: What happens if I place light sources on the plane perpendicular to the principle axis of cylindrical lens?

What happens to the light rays when they pass through a cylindrical lens placed perpendicular to the principal axis?

When light rays pass through a cylindrical lens placed perpendicular to the principal axis, they are focused into a line rather than a point. This is because a cylindrical lens focuses light in only one dimension, causing the rays to converge along a line parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

How is the focal length of a cylindrical lens determined?

The focal length of a cylindrical lens is determined by the curvature of the lens surface and the refractive index of the material from which the lens is made. The focal length can be calculated using the lens maker's formula, modified for cylindrical lenses.

Will the cylindrical lens affect the intensity of the light sources?

Yes, a cylindrical lens can affect the intensity distribution of light sources. Since it focuses light into a line, the intensity along that line will be higher compared to other directions. However, the total energy remains conserved, so the overall intensity distribution changes but not the total intensity.

Can a cylindrical lens create an image of the light sources?

A cylindrical lens can create an image, but it will be distorted. Instead of forming a point image, it will form a line image. This means that a point light source will appear as a line and an extended light source will appear stretched along one axis.

What applications utilize cylindrical lenses and their unique focusing properties?

Cylindrical lenses are used in a variety of applications that require focusing light into a line or correcting astigmatism. They are commonly used in laser scanning systems, optical data storage, and in certain types of imaging systems to correct for cylindrical aberrations.

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