Design Method of Scanning and Zoom Optical System Based on Rotating Risley Prism

Risley prisms, as beam-steering components, find extensive applications in optics. A single Risley prism enables constant-angle deflection of incident light, while rotating multi-prism arrays achieve arbitrary beam steering through coordinated relative rotations. Leveraging this principle, we propose a Risley-prism-based scanning zoom optical system design. Starting from the optical-axis deflection model, we systematically investigate the system design framework and implement a wide-field scanning zoom optical system for space target surveillance. This system achieves a 16° local field-of-view (FOV), expandable to 48° post-scanning, with a 405–1000 nm operating spectrum covering visible to near-infrared wavelengths. Tailored for space target detection and imaging applications, this design advances Risley prism technology in aerospace engineering.