Mechanically Reconfigurable GRIN Lens Concept for Focusing and Beamforming Applications

Abstract: This study presents a prospective concept of a mechanically reconfigurable Gradient Index (GRIN) lens for focusing and beamforming applications. The lens is formed by corrugated layers, each realizing a refractive index profile expressed in a basis of Chebyshev polynomials. The focal point position is controlled by shifting the GRIN lens layers. A geometrical optics-based approach is implemented for the three scenarios of focusing at varying focal distance. The geometrical optics results are validated by numerical simulations, with some discrepancies observed due to modeling approximations and structural granularity. We also discuss scalability of the proposed concept for operation at infrared wavelengths.