Technical Resources
Optics Knowledge
Technical references, design principles, and engineering insights from OEA's optical engineering practice
This resource covers fundamental and advanced topics in optical engineering — from first-order system design to stray light mitigation and tolerancing. These articles reflect OEA's hands-on experience across defense, biomedical, and consumer optics programs.
Optical Design
First-Order Optics & System Layout
First-order (paraxial) optics defines the basic layout of an optical system: focal lengths, magnification, entrance and exit pupils, and field of view. Understanding these relationships is the foundation of any optical design before detailed ray tracing begins.
Aberration Theory & Correction
Optical aberrations — spherical, coma, astigmatism, field curvature, and distortion — degrade image quality. Correcting them requires balancing lens element powers, shapes, glass choices, and aspheric surfaces. OEA uses Zemax OpticStudio for full aberration analysis and optimization.
Stray Light
Stray Light Sources & Mitigation
Stray light is any unwanted light reaching the detector — from ghost reflections, scatter off mechanical surfaces, or diffraction. Effective mitigation combines baffling geometry, surface treatments (black anodize, Aeroglaze), and coating design. OEA performs full stray light analysis using FRED and Zemax.
Veiling Glare & PST Analysis
Point Source Transmittance (PST) quantifies how much stray light from an off-axis source reaches the focal plane. PST analysis is critical for telescopes, FLIR systems, and any instrument operating in high-contrast scenes. OEA has performed PST analysis for military and space programs.
Ophthalmic Optics
The Human Eye as an Optical System
The eye is a complex optical system with a variable-power lens (crystalline lens), a variable aperture (pupil), and a curved detector (retina). Understanding its aberrations, accommodation range, and spectral sensitivity is essential for designing ophthalmic instruments and visual displays.
Intraocular Lens (IOL) Design
IOLs replace the natural crystalline lens after cataract surgery. Optical design goals include minimizing spherical aberration, controlling chromatic aberration, and achieving the target power within tight manufacturing tolerances. Stray light from diffractive IOL structures is a key performance metric.
Systems Engineering
Optical Tolerancing & Error Budgets
Tolerancing determines how much manufacturing variation a design can absorb while still meeting performance requirements. A well-structured error budget allocates tolerances across surface figure, centration, spacing, and index — balancing performance risk against fabrication cost.
Radiometry & Optical Detection
Radiometry quantifies the flow of electromagnetic radiation through an optical system — from source radiance to detector irradiance. Understanding throughput (étendue), detector noise models (NEP, D*), and signal-to-noise ratio is essential for designing imaging and sensing systems that meet sensitivity requirements.
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