Fresnel lenses: High contrast and efficient focusing
Friday, October 5, 2012 - 09:00
in Physics & Chemistry
The first Fresnel lens was installed in 1823 in the Cordouan lighthouse, where its beam was visible for 32 km. Since then, this lens design has been used in lighthouses, traffic lights, automobile headlights, magnifying glasses, cameras, and more. Compared to a conventional lens design of comparable aperture and focal length, a Fresnel lens requires less mass and volume, allowing it to be thinner and flatter, capturing more oblique light from a light source.