Understanding Optical System Specifications: Identifying and Managing Hidden Conflicts

Level: Introductory Length: 4 hours Format: In-Person Lecture Intended Audience: Scientists, engineers, technicians, or managers who wish to learn more about how to best specify an optical system. Undergraduate training in engineering or science is assumed. Description: The primary goal of the course is to help identify the common hidden specification conflicts that can cause optical design projects to fail and the strategies for managing these conflicts. The first part of this course is the presentation of a general optical design specification document appropriate for a wide range of optical design projects. Each specification and the standard relationships between them will be discussed in detail to help determine if you have all of your specifications for a given project and if you are providing the right set of information to an optical designer. Software demos (e.g. CODE V and Zemax) showing the impact on changes in specifications will be used to highlight the hidden specification conflicts. The last part of the course is a workshop where a series of design problems are handed out. Attendees will have the opportunity to work through the exercises in small groups, find the hidden specification conflicts, and get real-time feedback on their specification documents. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - determine the correct focal length, f/# and field of view for your optical system - select an appropriate light source and detector - convert between pixel resolution and angular resolution - quantify image quality and performance requirements - identify how your system specifications impact your depth of field and/or depth of focus - distinguish the packaging parameters (e.g. diameter, length) that limit performance - determine if catalog lenses will work for your project or if you need to get a custom design Instructor(s): Julie L. Bentley is a professor at The Institute of Optics in Rochester, NY. Her expertise is in the area of optical design and tolerancing of precision optical instruments and has been teaching classes in geometrical optics and optical design for over 25 years. Her research group is focused on three different aspects of optics: optical design with freeform GRIN (gradient index) materials, the design of next generation adaptive optics (AO) ophthalmoscopes, and applying artificial intelligence and neural networks to zoom lens design and optimization. In her “free” time she runs a successful optical design consulting business (Bentley Optical Design) designing optical systems that range from military optics to optical systems for medical devices. Event: SPIE Photonics West 2025 Course Held: 27 January 2025