Conformal optical system design with a single fixed conic corrector

A conformal optical system refers to the one whose first optical surface conforms to both aerodynamic and imaging requirements. Appropriate correction is required because a conformal dome induces significant aberrations. This paper intends to explain that an effective solution to the easy-fabrication conic surface corrector compensates aberrations induced by a coaxial aspheric dome. A conformal optical system with an ellipsoid MgF₂ conformal dome, which has a fineness ratio of 2.0, is designed as an example. The field of regard angle is 30 degrees with a 2 degree instantaneous field of view. The system's ultimate value of modulation transfer function is close to the diffraction limit, which indicates that the performance of the conic conformal optical system with a fixed conic corrector meets the imaging requirements.