Mirrorbased

Mirrorbased refers to systems that rely primarily on reflective surfaces to control light rather than conventional refractive lenses. The approach folds optical paths using mirrors to achieve compactness, flexible light routing, and potential improvements in chromatic performance and mechanical packaging. It is used across imaging, projection, and sensing disciplines.

In practice, mirrorbased systems employ flat mirrors for routing, curved mirrors such as parabolic or hyperbolic for focusing and imaging, and combinations in periscope-like or folded-path configurations. Some designs implement mirror arrays for wide-field scanning or scanning via MEMS-actuated mirrors. Optical coatings, alignment tolerances, and mechanical stability are central to performance. Light losses at surface reflections are mitigated with high-reflectivity coatings.

Applications include folded optical telescopes and beam delivery in high-power laser setups, endoscopic imaging where a slender rigid shaft is necessary, compact surveillance and machine-vision cameras, LiDAR and 3D sensing, and portable projection systems where a folded path reduces size. Mirrorbased concepts also appear in head-mounted displays with mirror-based free-space optics.

Challenges include precise alignment, sensitivity to mechanical disturbances, stray light and ghosting, and higher manufacturing costs for large or highly precise mirrors. Advances in lightweight substrates, coatings, and precision actuation are expanding viability.