This course is part of the Optical Engineering Specialization

Amy Sullivan +1 more instructor

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Part of the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree

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Optical Engineering SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

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This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5601, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree.
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 mathematical and graphical techniques. The first order optical system design covered in the previous course is useful for the initial design of an optical imaging system but does not predict the energy and resolution of the system. This course discusses the propagation of intensity for Gaussian beams and incoherent sources. It also introduces the mathematical background required to design an optical system with the required field of view and resolution.  You will also learn how to analyze these characteristics of your optical system using an industry-standard design tool, OpticStudio by Zemax.

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Course 2 of 3 in the

Optical Engineering Specialization

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Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Advanced Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.8/5 (5 Ratings)

Amy Sullivan

Research Associate

Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering

11,792 Learners

4 Courses

Robert McLeod

Professor

Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering

11,777 Learners

3 Courses

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 3 in the

Optical Engineering Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Advanced Level

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: French, Portuguese (European), Russian, English, Spanish

Offered by

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.

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.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Geometrical Optics for Gaussian Beams

First order optical system design using rays is useful for the initial design of an optical imaging system, but does not predict the energy and resolution of the system. This module introduces Gaussian beams, a specific example of how the shape of the light evolves in an imaging system.

5 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 80 min), 2 readings, 4 quizzes

12 videos

Introduction to the Course4m

Light has a shape3m

The Gaussian beam11m

The Gaussian q parameter4m

The evolution of the q parameter10m

Gaussian Beam Propagation Lab Demo3m

Ray tracing Gaussian beams9m

Examples of ray tracing Gaussian beams7m

Do Gaussian beams obey imaging?8m

The Lagrange invariant4m

The post-doc's tale4m

Design of a fiber to fiber coupler7m

2 readings

Course overview5m

Tools and Resources10m

4 practice exercises

Gaussian Beam Practice Problems20m

Gaussian Beam OpticStudio Practice20m

Practice Problem15m

Gaussian Beams1h 45m

Week

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Maxwell's Equations

This module provides the background for the full electro-magnetic field description of optical systems, including a description of plane and spherical waves and a formal treatment of reflection and refraction from this perspective. We start out with a quick review of the mathematical background for this description. This will be fairly short, but you may want to spend some more time reviewing these concepts on your own if you have not seen them for a while.

4 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 51 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes

8 videos

Maxwell's equations7m

Lorentz oscillator10m

Wave equation3m

Plane waves4m

Spatial frequency9m

Spherical waves2m

Fresnel coefficients7m

Brewster's Angle Laboratory Demonstration5m

2 readings

Spatial Frequency Introduction10m

Polarization: Sunglasses and the Sky15m

3 practice exercises

Absorption Practice10m

Practice Problems20m

Maxwell's Equations2h

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Impulse Responses and Transfer Functions

This module provides an introduction to the basics of Fourier Optics, which are used to determine the resolution of an imaging system. We will discuss a few Fourier Transforms that show up in standard optical systems in the first subsection and use these to determine the system resolution, and then discuss the differences between coherent and incoherent systems and impulse responses and transfer functions in the second subsection. We will wrap up with a discussion of these concepts using OpticStudio.

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 61 min)

10 videos

Lenses take Fourier transforms9m

Fourier Transform of the Gaussian Beam4m

The Airy disk6m

Cutoff Frequency5m

The coherent transfer function4m

The relation of impulse response and transfer function5m

Incoherent impulse response4m

Optical transfer function4m

Summary6m

Implementation in OpticStudio10m

2 practice exercises

Airy Disk OpticStudio Practice20m

Impulse Responses1h

Week

Week 4

6 hours to complete

Finite Aperture Optics

This module takes the concepts of pupils and resolution that we have discussed in the previous modules and works through how to apply them to our first-order optical design systems. We start with a description of how to find the system pupils and windows, then move on to a discussion of how that affects the imaging properties of this system, and finally return to the Lagrange invariant and its utility in optical system design.

6 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 90 min)

11 videos

Aperture stop and pupils9m

Field stop and windows8m

Lyot stop6m

Stops Laboratory Demonstration4m

Effective NA and F#7m

Depth of focus9m

Vignetting6m

Telecentric imaging4m

Lagrange invariant8m

Resolvability12m

Example and Phase Space13m

2 practice exercises

Finite Aperture Practice30m

Fine Aperture Optics3h

About the Optical Engineering Specialization

The courses in this specialization can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5600-5602, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree. Enroll here.

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?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Optical Efficiency and Resolution