Catalog Description

Reflection and refraction at plane and curved surfaces; imaging properties of lenses; first-order Gaussian optics and thin-lens system layout; matrix optics; ray-tracing software; spherical and chromatic aberrations. Prerequisite: physics with calculus (PHY 223)

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, all students should be able to

  1. Calculate the effective, back, and front focal distances for a series of lenses
  2. Use two lenses to replicate an arbitrary lens system
  3. Differentiate and explain the uses of pupils, apertures, and field stops
  4. Explain, identify and minimize third-order optical aberrations
  5. Use ray tracing software to minimize spherical or chromatic aberrations
  1. Introduction
    • Overview, Basics
    • Safety
    • Index of Refraction
    • Lab: Snell's Law

  2. Gaussian Optics
    • Cardinal Points
    • Image Position
    • Image Size
    • Lab: Thin Lenses

  3. Paraxial Optics
    • Ray Tracing
    • Paraxial Approximation
    • Thin Lens
    • Lab: Beam Expanders

  4. Simple Optical Systems
    • Separated Components
    • Optical Invariant
    • Matrix Optics
    • Lab: Imaging

  5. Primary Aberrations
    • Seidel Aberrations
    • Chromatic Aberrations
    • Wave Front Aberration
    • Lab: Foucalt testing

  6. Prism and Mirror Systems
    • Dispersing Prisms
    • Plane Parallel Plates
    • Plane Mirrors
    • Lab: Spectroscopy

  7. Stops, Apertures, Pupils
    • Aperture Stop
    • Field Stop
    • Depth of Focus
    • Lab: Microscopes

  8. Optometry
    • Structure of the eye
    • Defects of the eye
    • Vision correction
    • Lab: Cylindrical Lenses

  9. Optical Materials
    • Reflection
    • Absorption
    • Dispersion
    • Lab: Glass and Plastic lenses

  10. Optical System Layout
    • Telescopes
    • Resolution
    • Microscopes
    • Lab: Mirror Telescope