Fresnel Lenses for Wide- Aperture Optical Receivers

Wide-aperture receivers for free-space optical communication systems would utilize Fresnel lenses instead of conventional telescope lenses, according to a proposal. Fresnel lenses weigh and cost much less than conventional lenses having equal aperture widths. Plastic Fresnel lenses are commercially available in diameters up to 5 m - large enough to satisfy requirements for aperture widths of the order of meters for collecting sufficient light in typical long-distance free-space optical communication systems.