Infrared Optical Materials, Fabrication and Testing for the Optical Engineer

Level: Introductory Length: 4 hours Format: In-Person Lecture Intended Audience: Optical engineers, lens designers, or managers who wish to learn more about how infrared optical materials, fabrication and testing affect the optical designer. Undergraduate training in engineering or science is assumed. Description: This course is designed to give the optical engineer or lens designer an introduction to the technologies and techniques of infrared optical materials, fabrication and testing. This knowledge will help the optical engineer understand which optical specifications/tolerances lead to more cost effective optical components. Topics covered include conventional and newly developed infrared optical materials, traditional, CNC and novel optical fabrication technologies, surface testing and fabrication tolerances. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - identify key mechanical, chemical and thermal properties of infrared optical materials (glass, crystals and ceramics) and how they affect the optical system performance and cost of optical components - review the basics of optical fabrication - define meaningful surface tolerances - communicate with optical fabricators - design optical components that are able to be manufactured and measured using state of the art optical fabrication technologies Instructor(s): Jessica DeGroote Nelson is the Director of Engineering at Optimax Systems, Inc. She specializes in optical materials and fabrication processes. She is an adjunct faculty member at The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester teaching an undergraduate course on Optical Fabrication and Testing, and has given several guest lectures on optical metrology methods. She earned a Ph.D. in Optics at The Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester. Dr. Nelson is a member of both OSA and SPIE. Event: SPIE Defense, Security + Sensing 2015 Course Held: 21 April 2015