Lens Design Basics

Thoroughly revised and expanded to reflect the substantial changes in the field since its publication in 1978 Strong emphasis on how to effectively use software design packages, indispensable to today’s lens designer Many new lens design problems and examples – ranging from simple lenses to complex zoom lenses and mirror systems – give insight for both the newcomer and specialist in the field Rudolf Kingslake is regarded as the American father of lens design; his book, not revised since its publication in 1978, is viewed as a classic in the field. Naturally, the area has developed considerably since the book was published, the most obvious changes being the availability of powerful lens design software packages, theoretical advances, and new surface fabrication technologies. This book provides the skills and knowledge to move into the exciting world of contemporary lens design and develop practical lenses needed for the great variety of 21st-century applications. Continuing to focus on fundamental methods and procedures of lens design, this revision by R. Barry Johnson of a classic modernizes symbology and nomenclature, improves conceptual clarity, broadens the study of aberrations, enhances discussion of multi-mirror systems, adds tilted and decentered systems with eccentric pupils, explores use of aberrations in the optimization process, enlarges field flattener concepts, expands discussion of image analysis, includes many new exemplary examples to illustrate concepts, and much more. Optical engineers working in lens design will find this book an invaluable guide to lens design in traditional and emerging areas of application; it is also suited to advanced undergraduate or graduate course in lens design principles and as a self-learning tutorial and reference for the practitioner. Rudolf Kingslake (1903-2003) was a founding faculty member of the Institute of Optics at The University of Rochester (1929) and remained teaching until 1983. Concurrently, in 1937 he became head of the lens design department at Eastman Kodak until his retirement in 1969. Dr. Kingslake published numerous papers, books, and was awarded many patents. He was a Fellow of SPIE and OSA, and an OSA President (1947-48). He was awarded the Progress Medal from SMPTE (1978), the Frederic Ives Medal (1973), and the Gold Medal of SPIE (1980). R. Barry Johnson has been involved for over 40 years in lens design, optical systems design, and electro-optical systems engineering. He has been a faculty member at three academic institutions engaged in optics education and research, co-founder of the Center for Applied Optics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, employed by a number of companies, and provided consulting services. Dr. Johnson is an SPIE Fellow and Life Member, OSA Fellow, and an SPIE President (1987). He published numerous papers and has been awarded many patents. Dr. Johnson was founder and Chairman of the SPIE Lens Design Working Group (1988-2002), is an active Program Committee member of the International Optical Design Conference, and perennial co-chair of the annual SPIE Current Developments in Lens Design and Optical Engineering Conference. Thoroughly revised and expanded to reflect the substantial changes in the field since its publication in 1978 Strong emphasis on how to effectively use software design packages, indispensable to today’s lens designer Many new lens design problems and examples – ranging from simple lenses to complex zoom lenses and mirror systems – give insight for both the newcomer and specialist in the field

A concise introduction to lens design, including the fundamental theory, concepts, methods and tools used in the field. Covering all the essential concepts and providing suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, this book is an essential resource for graduate students working in optics and photonics.

The process of designing lenses is both an art and a science. While advances in the field over the past two centuries have done much to transform it from the former category to the latter, much of the lens design process remains encapsulated in the experience and knowledge of industry veterans. This SPIE Field Guide provides a working reference for practicing physicists, engineers, and scientists for deciphering the nuances of basic lens design.

A large part of this book is devoted to a study of possible design procedures for various types of lens or mirror systems, with fully worked examples of each. The reader is urged to follow the logic of these examples and be sure that he understands what is happening, noticing particularly how each available degree of freedom is used to control one aberration. Not every type of lens has been considered, of course, but the design techniques illustrated here can readily be applied to the design of other more complex systems. It is assumed that the reader has access to a small computer to help with the ray tracing, otherwise he may find the computations so time-consuming that he is liable to lose track of what he is trying to accomplish.

This book gives a comprehensive overview on the principles of optical imaging. The first seven chapters provide an extensive summary of optical design, as well as the mechanisms and interrelations leading to the formation of aberrations and the accompanying decrease in imaging performance. Aside from the fundamentals of optics and imaging models, topics covered include calculations of simple optical components and systems, characterisation and quantification of aberrations and defects in optical systems, and optimisation of imaging performance. The second part focuses on problem-based learning via multiple exercises and case examples derived from the first seven chapters. It is an ideal guide for optics and photonics students. Part of IOP Series in Emerging Technologies in Optics and Photonics.

A Practical Guide to Lens Design focuses on the very detailed practical process of lens design. Every step from setup specifications to finalizing the design for production is discussed in a straight forward, tangible way. Design examples of several widely used modern lenses are provided. Optics basics are introduced and basic functions of Zemax are described. Zemax will be used throughout the book.

Infused with more than 500 tables and figures, this reference clearly illustrates the intricacies of optical system design and evaluation and considers key aspects of component selection, optimization, and integration for the development of effective optical apparatus. The book provides a much-needed update on the vanguard in the field with vivid e