First Order Optical System Design
This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5600, 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. 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.
be able to design, to first order, such optical systems with simple mathematical and graphical techniques
Syllabus
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Introduction to Geometrical Optics
Week 2
Optical System Design in OpticStudio
Week 3
First Order Ray Tracing
Week 4
Thick Optics and Mirrors
Week 5
First-Order Ray Tracing of Multi-Element Systems
FAQ
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. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Reviews
Clear conceptual explanation of optical design concepts. Very helpful forf understanding ZEMAX operation.
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.
Good lectures and presentations in this course. A sound and systematic basis for the next courses to follow.
Assignments are difficult and the auto-grader is a bit buggy. But the course content and the faculty is great
