3D-GRINO-PPCI will deliver locally optimized polymeric materials with designed gradient compositions to tailor the performance of the optical systems well beyond the capabilities of today's technologies. We will present a groundbreaking opportunity to replace conventional optical lenses, where material interface (form) refracts light rays, with lenses with parallel tailored refractive index distribution (graded-index GRIN), which makes possible for the optical rays also to bend inside the optical elements. Although simple geometrically symmetric GRIN optics is possible to manufacture currently, our unique multi-material 3D printing technology will enable simultaneous control of complex GRIN structures with accuracy, flexibility, and functionality never seen before. We will also develop optical design algorithms that will benefit from the researched materials and processing data bank, and are able to optimize optical systems for much smaller number of elements than ever before.

2023

2027