Optical lenses are devices that use the principle of refraction to interfere with the focus of a beam of light. These components are usually made of glass. A single lens may only have one component, while a composite lens consists of multiple components. Optical lenses can concentrate or scatter light, depending on their design. Its substrate determines whether the lens output is focused or scattered light.

When light passes through a lens, a planar convex lens and a biconvex optical lens concentrate the light at a point. When light passes through a lens, a flat concave lens and a biconcave lens cause the light to diverge. Some optical lenses can optimize color correction. They are called Achromatic lens. Some applications may also require optical lenses to be able to correct spherical aberrations. If that's the case, an aspheric optical lens is an ideal choice.

According to different expected applications, the materials used in optical lens design may vary greatly. For example, optical lenses for infrared transmission include germanium, Zinc selenide, or silicon. When designing optical lenses for UV applications, quartz glass is preferred. Optical lenses can be widely used in laser processing, microscopy, and other applications. Some fields where optical lenses are widely used include life sciences, national defense, communication, and imaging.