In order to diminish the negative temperature effect on image quality of aerial zoom lens, a passive athermal subtraction structure is designed, based on the differential principle. The thermal analysis of zoom lens in working conditions of both high and low temperatures is taken out through NX Nastran finite element analysis software, and the four components are designed by making use of athermal subtraction principle and analytical data. By means of the athermal structural coupling analysis on the zoom lens before and after design, it is proved that the reduction of the maximum athermal distortion of zoom lens is 0.03 mm on the lens after athermal subtraction design. By adopting the Zernike coefficient as the data interface and taking the obtained thermo-structural analysis results as the input of an optical analysis software named Code V, the optical transfer function curve of a zoom lens at +55 ℃ before and after athermal subtraction design is simulated. Compared with the design value of transfer function of the lens, the transfer function value of the lens at 78 lp/mm before the athermal subtraction design is decreased by about 0.2, namely, the transfer function value is reduced by 50%, while the transfer function value of the lens after the athermal subtraction design remains unchanged essentially. The effectiveness of the thermal subtraction design is verified. Finally, the correctness of the simulation result is verified through the experiment.