Basic Optics for Engineers

Level: Introductory Length: 7 hours Format: In-Person Lecture Intended Audience: This class is intended for engineers, technicians, and managers who need to understand and apply basic optics concepts in their work. The basics in each of the areas are covered, and are intended for those with little or no prior background in optics, or for those who need a fundamental refresher course. Description: This course introduces each of the following basic areas of optics, from an engineering point of view: geometrical optics, image quality, flux transfer, sources, detectors, and lasers. Basic calculations and concepts are emphasized. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - calculate the signal to noise performance of a sensor (D* and noise equivalent power) - compute the following image properties: size, location, fidelity, brightness - explain optical diagrams - compute the spectral distribution of a source - differentiate between sensitivity and responsivity - describe the factors that affect flux transfer efficiency, and their quantitative description - describe the difference between photon and thermal detectors - estimate diffraction-limited imaging performance - explain the main factors of laser beams: monochromaticity, collimation, and propagation Instructor(s): Menelaos K. Poutous is an Assoc. Professor of Interdisciplinary Optics in the Department of Physics & Optical Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He previously held a Principal Development Engineer’s position at Digital Optics Corporation, and before that, he was Lecturer with the Department of Physics at Emory University. He received his Doctorate from the School of Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA. He has been teaching Optics undergraduate and graduate courses of all levels for the last 25 years. His research interests are in spectroscopy, diffractive micro-optical elements, photo-lithographic fabrication processes, micro-optics in laser cavities and artificial optical surfaces. He is a senior member of SPIE. Event: SPIE Photonics West 2025 Course Held: 26 January 2025