Products HomeTunable Lenses in 16 mm or 30 mm Cage Plates
- TLens®* Tunable Lens Has Variable Focus from 10 or 20 cm to Infinity
- Compatible with Thorlabs’ Piezo Controllers
- Mounted in 16 or 30 mm Cage Plates
VL19C
Tunable Lens with 20 cm Minimum Focal Length, Mounted in 30 mm Cage Plate with SM1 Threading and 8-32 Taps
VL19S
Tunable Lens with 20 cm Minimum Focal Length, Mounted in 16 mm Cage Plate with SM05 Threading and 4-40 Taps
VL15S
Tunable Lens with 10 cm Minimum Focal Length, Mounted in 16 mm Cage Plate with SM05 Threading and 4-40 Taps
VL15C
Tunable Lens with 10 cm Minimum Focal Length, Mounted in 30 mm Cage Plate with SM1 Threading and 8-32 Taps
*TLens® is a registered trademark of poLight ASA.
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Features
- Focal Range: 10 cm (VL15 Series) or 20 cm (VL19 Series) to Infinity
- Available in Two Cage Mount Options:
- 16 mm Cage Plate with SM05 (0.535"-40) Threading and 4-40 (M3 x 0.5) Taps for Mounting on Our Ø6 mm Mini-Series Posts
- 30 mm Cage Plate with SM1 (1.035"-40) Threading and 8-32 (M4 x 0.7) Taps for Mounting on Our Ø1/2" Posts
- Response Time: <1 ms to Reach 63.2% of Final Asymptotic Value
- Ø1.55 mm (VL15 Series) or Ø1.90 mm (VL19 Series) Clear Aperture
- Ultra-Low Power Consumption: <1 mW
- Compatible with Thorlabs' Piezo Controllers that Cover the Full Voltage Range of 0 - 50 V
- Average Transmission: 95% (Typical) from 400 - 650 nm
- Transmitted Wavefront Error: <50 nm
These Tunable Lenses mounted in cage plates provide 95% (typical) average transmission from 400 - 650 nm and allow the user to adjust their focal lengths from 10 cm or 20 cm to infinity, making them ideal for custom and experimental optics setups such as confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography. The lenses have a MEMS-based design featuring TLens®* technology; designed to replicate the functions of the human eye, these tunable lenses provide fast focus with <1 ms response time with a constant field of view, no magnetic interference, and low power consumption of <1 mW. To control the piezoelectric actuators used to set the lens focal length, a male SMC connector on the top of the housing allows the lens to be connected to a Thorlabs piezo controller with one of our SMC Cables (not included). Any of our Piezo Controllers that can operate at least up to 50 V can be used to control these tunable lenses, such as our KPC101 K-Cube Piezo Controller and Strain Gauge Reader and our MDT694B Single Channel, Open-Loop Piezo Controller. Care should be taken not to exceed any of the absolute maximum ratings for these devices (see Specs tab for more information).
The VL15S(/M) and VL19S(/M) tunable lenses feature three 4-40 (M3 x 0.5) tapped holes on the sides for post mounting via our Ø6 mm Mini-Series Posts and have four Ø0.16" (4.0 mm) through holes that fit our SR series cage rods, each secured with a 4-40 locking screw that can be loosened with a 0.05" (1.3 mm) hex key. They also feature four through holes that accept 3-48 cap screws for mounting to a 16 mm cage cube. The VL15C(/M) and VL19C(/M) tunable lens features three 8-32 (M4 x 0.7) tapped holes for post mounting via our Ø1/2" Posts and has four Ø0.24" (6.0 mm) through holes for our ER series cage rods, each secured with an M4 x 0.7 locking screw that can be loosened with a 5/64" (2 mm) hex key. For improved imaging capabilities and correction for spherical aberrations when coupling to a microscope or fiber, all the tunable lenses also have M8 x 0.50 internal threads on one side for mounting aspheric lenses such as our Molded Glass Aspheric Lenses.
*TLens® is a registered trademark of poLight ASA.
†This previous-generation item is not available for individual purchase and has been replaced by the KPC101 Combined Piezo Controller and Strain Gauge Reader.
| Item # | VL15S(/M) | VL15C(/M) | VL19S(/M) | VL19C(/M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Mechanical Specifications | ||||
| Cage Size | 16 mm | 30 mm | 16 mm | 30 mm |
| Inner Bore | SM05 Threaded | SM1 Threaded | SM05 Threaded | SM1 Threaded |
| TLens® Dimensions (L x W x T) | 4.900 mm x 4.400 mm x 0.545 mm | |||
| Assembly Dimensions (L x W x T) | 40.3 mm x 25.4 mm x 10.2 mm | 54.3 mm x 40.6 mm x 10.2 mm | 40.3 mm x 25.4 mm x 10.2 mm | 54.3 mm x 40.6 mm x 10.2 mm |
| Flatness | <0.030 mm | |||
| TLens® Weight | 15 mg | |||
| Assembly Weight | 14 g | 30 g | 14 g | 30 g |
| Input Connector Type | SMC Male | |||
| Drawingsa |  |
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| Typical Optical Specifications | ||||
| Focal Range | Infinity to 10 cm | Infinity to 20 cm | ||
| Clear Aperture - Sensor Sideb | Ø1.55 mm | Ø1.90 mm | ||
| Clear Aperture - Object Sideb | Ø2.00 mm | Ø2.25 mm | ||
| Transmitted Wavefront Error (RMS)c | 30 nm | |||
| Average Transmittance (Between 400 and 650 nm) | 95% | |||
| Typical Actuator Specifications | ||||
| Minimum Optical Power | -4 m-1 | |||
| Maximum Optical Power | 14 m-1 | 9 m-1 | ||
| Hysteresisc | 1 m-1 | |||
| Maximum Response Timed | 1 ms | |||
| Equivalent Capacitance @ 0 V | 40 nF | 25 nF | ||
| Operating Conditions | ||||
| Operating Voltage (Between Top and Bottom Electrode) | 0 V - 50 V | |||
| Duty Cycle Over Lifetime-Operating Voltage Cycle | 10% | |||
| Minimum Operating Voltage Cycles | 106 | |||
| Operating Temperature | -20 °C - 85 °C | |||
| Relative Humidity | <85% | |||
| Absolute Maximum Ratings | ||||
| Storage Temperature | -40 °C - 85 °C | |||
| Applied Voltage (Between Top and Bottom Electrode) | -15 V - 60 V | |||
| Applied Current | <1 mA | |||
Click to Enlarge
Click for Raw Data
The plot above shows the typical transmittance representitive of the VL15 and VL19 series tunable lens. The blue shaded region indicates the specified 400 - 650 nm wavelength range for optimum performance.
Click to Enlarge
Click for Raw Data
The plot above shows example optical power versus voltage curves for an unmounted VL15 series tunable lens at room temperature. The solid curve illustrates a scan between infinity and the minimum focal length. The optical power response is shown for both increasing and for decreasing voltage. The dotted curve shows the optical power vs. voltage for an extended voltage range.
Click to Enlarge
Click for Raw Data
The plot above shows example optical power versus voltage curves for an unmounted VL19 series tunable lens at room temperature. The solid curve illustrates a scan between infinity and the minimum focal length. The optical power response is shown for both increasing and for decreasing voltage. The dotted curve shows the optical power vs. voltage for an extended voltage range.
Click to Enlarge
Click for Raw Data
The curves above show the typical thermal behavior of an unmounted VL15 series tunable lens operating at room temperature (25 °C), -20 °C, and 80 °C. Any stress that may affect the lens' thermal behavior is negligible in our cage plate mounts.
Click to Enlarge
Click for Raw Data
The curves above show the typical thermal behavior of an unmounted VL19 series tunable lens operating at room temperature (25 °C), -20 °C, and 80 °C. Any stress that may affect the lens' thermal behavior is negligible in our cage plate mounts.
| Posted Comments: | |
Zeyang Li
(posted 2024-04-01 23:53:50.73) Do you have products with higher transmission at 780nm? The current one only transmits about 80% at 780nm. jdelia
(posted 2024-04-03 08:12:39.0) Thank you for contacting Thorlabs. We unfortunately do not have a tunable lens with higher transmission at 780 nm as our current selection is optimized for 400 - 650 nm. That said, I could certainly forward your feedback to our design engineers via our internal suggestion forum for future consideration as a catalog item. |
Cage-Mounted Tunable Lenses