Diffraction is a common problem that requires multiple elements in lenses to deal with, adding weight and size to lenses. Looking at the problem of optical surfaces for really big lenses (telescopes), university researchers came up with a different way to achieve the required light bending: cut grooves into the elements.
https://www.astronomy.com/science/a-new-thin-lensed-telescope-design-could-far-surpass-james-webb/Their problem is telescopes in space, but who's to say the same technology couldn't be used with terrestrial lenses, including those we put on cameras?
