This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5601, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree.
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Optical Engineering SpecializationUniversity of Colorado BoulderAbout this Course
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Course 2 of 3 in the
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Advanced Level
Approx. 21 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 2 of 3 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Advanced Level
Approx. 21 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: English
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.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM OPTICAL EFFICIENCY AND RESOLUTION
by YSJul 19, 2019
The content is good, and the instructor is very responsive through email. Though I think the capstone is not as challenging as the first course.
by ODNov 14, 2018
The lab demonstrations were very helpful and the explanations of complex phenomena were very easy to understand.
by FHJun 21, 2019
The course content is good. But the instructors had not been responsive to any question posted on the forum.
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.
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
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What is the refund policy?
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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.
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