Optical components are essential key elements in modern engineering and everyday life. The education of skilled personnel and specialists in the fields of theoretical and practical optics manufacturing is of essential importance for next-generation technologies. Against this background, this book provides the basis for the education and advanced training of precision and ophthalmic optics technicians, craftsmen, and foremen, and it is an extensive reference work for students, academics, optical designers or shop managers, and production engineers. It not only covers particularly used and applied machines, working materials, testing procedures, and machining steps for classical optics manufacturing, but it also addresses the production and specification of optical glasses as well as unconventional production techniques and novel approaches. Optics Manufacturing: Components and Systems furthermore covers the basics of light propagation and provides an overview on optical materials and components; presents an introduction and explanation of the necessary considerations and procedures for the initial definition of manufacturing tolerances and the relevant industrial standards for optics manufacturing; and addresses the production of micro optics, the assembly of opto-mechanical setups and possible manufacturing errors, and the impact of the resulting inaccuracies. In order to allow fast and clear access to the most essential information, each chapter ends with a short summary of the most important aspects, including an explanation of relevant equations, symbols, and abbreviations. For further reading, extensive lists of references are also provided. Finally, exercises on the covered basic principles of optics, approaches, and techniques of optics manufacturing—including their corresponding detailed solutions—are found in the appendix.

Optical science and engineering affect almost every aspect of our lives. Millions of miles of optical fiber carry voice and data signals around the world. Lasers are used in surgery of the retina, kidneys, and heart. New high-efficiency light sources promise dramatic reductions in electricity consumption. Night-vision equipment and satellite surveillance are changing how wars are fought. Industry uses optical methods in everything from the production of computer chips to the construction of tunnels. Harnessing Light surveys this multitude of applications, as well as the status of the optics industry and of research and education in optics, and identifies actions that could enhance the field's contributions to society and facilitate its continued technical development.

While several available texts discuss molded plastic optics, none provide information on all classes of molded optics. Filling this gap, Molded Optics: Design and Manufacture presents detailed descriptions of molded plastic, glass, and infrared optics. Since an understanding of the manufacturing process is necessary to develop cost-effective, produ

Covers the fundamental science of grinding and polishing by examining the chemical and mechanical interactions over many scale lengths Manufacturing next generation optics has been, and will continue to be, enablers for enhancing the performance of advanced laser, imaging, and spectroscopy systems. This book reexamines the age-old field of optical fabrication from a materials-science perspective, specifically the multiple, complex interactions between the workpiece (optic), slurry, and lap. It also describes novel characterization and fabrication techniques to improve and better understand the optical fabrication process, ultimately leading to higher quality optics with higher yield. Materials Science and Technology of Optical Fabrication is divided into two major parts. The first part describes the phenomena and corresponding process parameters affecting both the grinding and polishing processes during optical fabrication. It then relates them to the critical resulting properties of the optic (surface quality, surface figure, surface roughness, and material removal rate). The second part of the book covers a number of related topics including: developed forensic tools used to increase yield of optics with respect to surface quality (scratch/dig) and fracture loss; novel characterization and fabrication techniques used to understand/quantify the fundamental phenomena described in the first part of the book; novel and recent optical fabrication processes and their connection with the fundamental interactions; and finally, special techniques utilized to fabricate optics with high damage resistance. Focuses on the fundamentals of grinding and polishing, from a materials science viewpoint, by studying the chemical and mechanical interactions/phenomena over many scale lengths between the workpiece, slurry, and lap Explains how these phenomena affect the major characteristics of the optic workpiece—namely surface figure, surface quality, surface roughness, and material removal rate Describes methods to improve the major characteristics of the workpiece as well as improve process yield, such as through fractography and scratch forensics Covers novel characterization and fabrication techniques used to understand and quantify the fundamental phenomena of various aspects of the workpiece or fabrication process Details novel and recent optical fabrication processes and their connection with the fundamental interactions Materials Science and Technology of Optical Fabrication is an excellent guidebook for process engineers, fabrication engineers, manufacturing engineers, optical scientists, and opticians in the optical fabrication industry. It will also be helpful for students studying material science and applied optics/photonics.

Based on an unpublished revision of the standard reference in the German optics industry. Designed as a source of facts, data and definitions, it reflects state-of-the-art technology and current practices in the United States and abroad. Practical in nature, it presents optical engineers with comprehensive coverage of material, tool and design methods and testing of the final product. Easily accessible with tables, graphs and equations, it will help professionals quickly and accurately find the most suitable solutions to their optical challenges.

This book provides the reader with the broad range of materials that were discussed in a series of short courses presented at Georgia Tech on the design, fabrication, and testing of diffractive optical elements (DOEs). Although there are not long derivations or detailed methods for specific engineering calculations, the reader should be familiar and comfortable with basic computational techniques. This text is not a 'cookbook' for producing DOEs, but it should provide readers with sufficient information to assess whether this technology would benefit their work, and to understand the requirements for using the concepts and techniques presented by the authors.

Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet. As described in the National Research Council report Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation, it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad-including market trends, workforce needs, and the impact of photonics on the national economy. It identifies the technological opportunities that have arisen from recent advances in, and applications of, optical science and engineering. The report also calls for improved management of U.S. public and private research and development resources, emphasizing the need for public policy that encourages adoption of a portfolio approach to investing in the wide and diverse opportunities now available within photonics. Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation is a useful overview not only for policymakers, such as decision-makers at relevant Federal agencies on the current state of optics and photonics research and applications but also for individuals seeking a broad understanding of the fields of optics and photonics in many arenas.

Provides optical designers, shop managers, opticians, and purchasers a concise reference explaining what the designer needs to know before making final choices and how to specify the components before they are ordered. It presents how conventional fabrication proceeds for representative components, alternative and emerging methods to optical fabrication, product evaluation, and the calculations used.

Prism and Lens Making: A Textbook for Optical Glassworkers, Second Edition is a unique compendium of the art and science of the optical working of glass for the production of mirrors, lenses, and prisms. Incorporating minor corrections and a foreword by Professor Walter Welford FRS, this reissue of the 1957 edition provides a wealth of technical information and hands-on guidance gained from a lifetime of experience. Although some of the techniques have been replaced by more modern methods, this classic book is still a valuable source of practical assistance as well as being a pleasure to read. About the Author Frank Twyman was a skilled craftsman in all aspects of optics. He joined Otto Hilger in 1898 to work on the production of simple spectroscopes costing less than £10 each. After the death of Otto Hilger, Twyman became Managing Director of Adam Hilger Ltd., a company known for the finest quality optical and mechanical work. He worked here from 1902 to 1946 and was very concerned with the practical aspects of instrument making; he designed many of the instruments himself and constantly strove to improve the techniques of optical grinding and polishing. In 1916 Twyman and Alfred Green, the foreman of the Hilger optical shops, patented the now-famous prism and lens testing interferometer that bears their names. Twyman also undertook fundamental studies in the annealing process for glass and invented new spectrophotometers and spectrographs.

This book is a comprehensive account of the most recent developments in modern ophthalmic optics. It makes use of the powerful matrix formalism to describe curvature and power, providing a unified view of the optical and geometrical properties of lenses. This unified approach is applicable to the design and properties of not only spectacle lenses, but also contact and intraocular lenses (IOL). The newest developments in lens design, manufacturing and testing are discussed, with an emphasis on the description of free-form technology, which has surpassed traditional manufacturing methods and allows digital lenses to be specifically designed with the unique requirements of the user. Other important topics which are covered include modern lens materials, up-to-date lens measuring techniques, contact and intraocular lenses, progressive power lenses, low vision aids, ocular protection and coatings. Providing a broad overview of recent developments in the field, it is ideal for researchers, manufacturers and practitioners involved in ophthalmic optics.