Optical instruments are how we see the world, from corrective eyewear to medical endoscopes to cell phone cameras to orbiting telescopes. When you finish this course, you will be able to design, to first order, such optical systems with simple mathematical and graphical techniques. This first order design will allow you to develop the foundation needed to begin all optical design as well as the intuition needed to quickly address the feasibility of complicated designs during brainstorming meetings. You will learn how to enter these designs into an industry-standard design tool, OpticStudio by Zemax, to analyze and improve performance with powerful automatic optimization methods.
This course is part of the Optical Engineering Specialization
First Order Optical System Design
Offered By
About this Course
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What you will learn
be able to design, to first order, such optical systems with simple mathematical and graphical techniques
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
14 hours to complete
Introduction to Geometrical Optics
This module introduces rays, which we use to describe the motion of light through air and materials. The course overview describes the goals of this course and gives tips on how to make the best use of the course materials to be successful. The lectures introduce the material. The in-video questions, lab demonstrations, PhET interactive demonstration, practice problems, and homework assignment allow you to get actively involved in learning the material.
9 videos (Total 49 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
9 videos
Introduction to Geometrical Optics4m
What are rays?11m
Pinhole Camera5m
Rays in OpticStudio2m
Snells Laws6m
Fermat's Principle4m
Snell's Laws in the Laboratory5m
PhET Hands-On Practice5m
2 readings
Course Overview10m
Tools and Resources10m
3 practice exercises
Snell's Law Practice Problem20m
Practice problems20m
Rays and Snell's Laws2h
Week
24 hours to complete
Optical system design in OpticStudio
In this module, you will learn how to enter the description of an optical system into OpticStudio, analyze the performance of that system using various calculations and plots, and finally optimize that design by defining a merit function and search variables.
7 videos (Total 70 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
System Explorer and the Lens Data Editor6m
Entering a Lens8m
Analyzing a Lens4m
The Lens Catalog18m
Configurations5m
Optimization20m
2 readings
Introduction10m
How to get started using OpticStudio10m
1 practice exercise
Design of an f/5 singlet at infinite conjugate2h
Week
35 hours to complete
First Order Ray Tracing
This module applies Snell's Laws to the curved interfaces of lenses and mirrors. You will learn the graphical and mathematical tools you need to calculate image size and location for thin lens and mirror systems. This foundation is essential to build more complex optical systems.
12 videos (Total 96 min), 1 reading, 3 quizzes
12 videos
Example of Sign Convention1m
Graphical Ray Tracing14m
Virtual Objects and Images8m
PhET Lens Practice9m
Positive and Negative Lens Laboratory Demonstration6m
Thin Lens Equations15m
Imaging with Mirrors9m
Single Lens Imaging Example8m
Mirror Laboratory Demonstration5m
Lenses vs. Mirrors2m
Paraxial Analysis in OpticStudio7m
1 reading
Practice ray tracing10m
3 practice exercises
Practice problem10m
Practice Questions20m
Ray Tracing and Lens Analysis2h
Week
45 hours to complete
Thick optics and mirrors
This module extends the analysis of the previous module to include the effects of real, thick lenses. You will learn how to input this factor into your optical system analysis and design.
8 videos (Total 59 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
8 videos
Power of a Single Curved Surface5m
Lens Maker's Equation6m
Power of Curved Mirrors8m
Two Lens System3m
Design with Thick Optics6m
Applying Thick Optics Concepts11m
Thick Lens Application9m
2 readings
Extension of thick lenses10m
Practice10m
3 practice exercises
OpticStudio practice4m
Thick Optics Practice Problems30m
Thick Optics2h
4.2
22 Reviews20%
started a new career after completing these courses
17%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top reviews from First Order Optical System Design
Really nice course with very clear explanations of the principles of optical engineering and learn how to use ZEMAX Opticstudio to simulate your optical system
A few new insights even for a senior optical engineer. I will keep working through their lectures if each one offers at least a few nuggets of insight.
Instructors
Amy Sullivan
Research AssociateElectrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Robert McLeod
ProfessorElectrical, Computer and Energy Engineering
Start working towards your Master's degree
This course is part of the 100% online Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder.
If you are admitted to the full program, your courses count towards your degree learning.
About University of Colorado Boulder
CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
About the Optical Engineering Specialization
Optical instruments are how we see the world, from corrective eyewear to medical endoscopes to cell phone cameras to orbiting telescopes. This course will teach you how to design such optical systems with simple graphical techniques, then transform those pencil and paper designs to include real optical components including lenses, diffraction gratings and prisms. You will learn how to enter these designs into an industry-standard design tool, OpticStudio by Zemax, to analyze and improve performance with powerful automatic optimization methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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Is financial aid available?
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