No abstract

No abstract

Optical design is a convenient phrase that covers the whole range of activities required for the creation of an optical system. Optical design usually begins with simple considerations of the spatial envelope of a new lens -finding the object/ image distances and sizes, aperture, focal length etc. The designer must then find a suitable starting design, either derived from basic theory, from his experience or from a design library. This start point will need to be analysed and understood and then optimised to match the requirements of the task in hand [1]. Almost always, optimisation involves repeated simultaneous multi-variable adjustments, and this therefore requires sophisticated software tools as following described in this article.

, "Easy-to-use software tools for teaching the basics, design and applications of optical components and systems," Proc. SPIE 9793, Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2015, 97930N (8 October 2015) ABSTRACTGeometric optics is at the heart of optics teaching. Some of us may remember using pins and string to test the simple lens equation at school. Matters get more complex at undergraduate/postgraduate levels as we are introduced to paraxial rays, real rays, wavefronts, aberration theory and much more. Software is essential for the later stages, and the right software can profitably be used even at school. We present two free PC programs, which have been widely used in optics teaching, and have been further developed in close cooperation with lecturers/professors in order to address the current content of the curricula for optics, photonics and lasers in higher education.PreDesigner is a single thin lens modeller. It illustrates the simple lens law with construction rays and then allows the user to include field size and aperture. Sliders can be used to adjust key values with instant graphical feedback. This tool thus represents a helpful teaching medium for the visualization of basic interrelations in optics.WinLens3DBasic can model multiple thin or thick lenses with real glasses. It shows the system focii, principal planes, nodal points, gives paraxial ray trace values, details the Seidel aberrations, offers real ray tracing and many forms of analysis. It is simple to reverse lenses and model tilts and decenters. This tool therefore provides a good base for learning lens design fundamentals. Much work has been put into offering these features in ways that are easy to use, and offer opportunities to enhance the student's background understanding.