HawkAI LGRIN Optics

The fundamental concepts and mathematics for GRIN (Gradient Refractive Index) were invented by James Maxwell (1831–1879), who formulated a set of equations known as Maxwell’s equations. In the 1950s, Harold Hopkins and Narinder Kapany pioneered using multiple thin glass lenses to correct optical aberrations in high-quality imaging systems. This work contributed to the foundation of what would later become gradient index optics. In the early 1970s, Duncan Moore and John Yoder made additional advancements in the understanding and practical application of gradient index optics. Their work paved the way for commercializing GRIN optical devices and systems for fiber optics and other specialized applications. 

In 2002, DARPA initiated the Bio-Optic Synthetic Systems (BOSS) program, which aimed to synthesize the components of a biologically inspired vision system and demonstrate a level of performance beyond that of standard optical imaging systems (i.e., with reduced size and complexity). Out of more than a dozen exploratory efforts, four efforts were selected for further development and demonstration: fluidic adaptive zoom lenses, foveated imaging, photon sieves, and nanolayer lenses. Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) collaborated on the nanolayer lens effort to create a synthetic lens that would mimic the structure and capabilities of an octopus eye.  And this was the genesis of Peak’s LGRIN (Layered Gradient Refractive Index).