A new method for glass substitution in optical design based on sensitivity analysis.

A new method for glass substitution during the lens design has been developed. Exploring existing longitudinal aberration contributions, the new method uses sensitivity analysis to find optimal optical glass constants (refractive index, Abbe number, and relative partial dispersion) for certain optical system elements. A case study introducing the glass substitution method to the optical system design is described. It is shown that the new approach provides step-by-step improvements in the optical system's longitudinal aberration correction. The current limitations of the method are also described.