This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 6668, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, Introduction (if any), and the Conference Committee listing.

Optical design in the 19th century was largely empirical, and today design in the geometric realm is often performed by optimizing a cost function which is defined via ray tracing. A natural question to ask then, is how to perform optical design using a more direct method, such as solving partial differential equations or variational problems. We consider the problem of writing down equations to model a single surface (mirror or lens) to completely control a single bundle of rays. When this is done, with high probability the solution surface will not be rotationally symmetric, but freeform. Although a bundle may not be completely controllable with a single surface, approximate solution can be sometimes have applications. In particular, we will show how to compute the shape of a driver-side mirror that has no blind-spot or distortion.

There have been many techniques developed for transferring data from CAD programs to optical codes. These data include geometry data as well as deformation data due to environmental stresses. But little has been done to transfer the opto-mechanical tolerances from the CAD programs to the optical codes, especially the probability distribution functions for the tolerances. This paper discusses the issues involved with such data transfer and describes an example transfer methodology from Sigmetrix's CETOL program to CODE V from Optical Research Associates. The required steps to perform the data transfer will be described, and an example is shown.

This paper is part four of a series on the ongoing optical modeling activities for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The first two papers discussed modeling JWST on-orbit performance using wavefront sensitivities to predict line of sight motion induced blur, and stability during thermal transients. The third paper investigates the aberrations resulting from alignment and figure compensation of the controllable degrees of freedom (primary and secondary mirrors), which may be encountered during ground alignment and on-orbit commissioning of the observatory. The work here introduces some of the math software tools used to perform the work of the previous three papers of this series. NASA has recently approved these in-house tools for public release as open source, so this presentation also serves as a quick tutorial on their use. The tools are collections of functions written for use in MATLAB to interface with optical design software (CODE V, OSLO, and ZEMAX) using either COM or DDE communication protocol. The functions are discussed, and examples are given.

The wavefront and caustic surfaces of a refractive, aspheric laser beam shaper in its Keplerian configuration have been evaluated for a Gaussian to a flattened Lorentzian beam transform. The generalized ray tracing formalism of geometrical optics has been used to evaluate the principal curvatures of the refracted wavefront from the first aspheric lens. The caustic surfaces are the loci of the centers of curvature of the wavefront. Characteristics of the wavefront and caustics provide insight and understanding to how the irradiance redistribution evolves.

An ultrathin fiberscope that incorporates illumination and detection into a single channel is presented for broadband diffuse reflectance imaging. It consists of a 0.5 mm diameter imaging catheter (coherent fiber bundle cemented to a grin lens), illumination and collection optics, and a ccd camera. To obtain reasonable image contrast, surface scatter and the specular reflections at interfaces of differing refractive index must be reduced. In this paper, the prototype system is modeled end-to-end in a non-sequential ray tracing program with the aim of locating sources of residual backscatter and backreflections. Analysis of results from two test objects, text and tissue, are presented.

We present the design and implementation of annular 8-fold and 4-fold imagers with both full and arc-section reduced apertures. The advantages and trade-offs of arc-section apertures are discussed and shown experimentally compared to their full-aperture counterparts.

A conventional backlight unit (BLU) is utilized to as the light module to present uniform light of liquid crystal display (LCD). In general, cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) is used to be the light source of BLU. The light emitting diode (LED) is well known as a promising device for solid state lighting. It has the advantages of long life, no mercury containing and good endurance of heavy impact. To satisfy the market demands of the thin-film liquid crystal display (LCD) and the green product, the LED is applied to as the light source to make display thinner, lighter, no Hg containing. In this research, the LED light-linear device with microprism structure is demonstrated that it can make the point-like light to distribute propagating-light line pattern successfully. By optimizing the distributions and sizes of microprisms, the designed LED-linear device can achieve an illuminative efficiency more than 80%~90%, and its light output area is two times the input light source. Thus, the LED light-linear device with microprsims not only can decrease the LED to save the space, but also increase the optical efficiency. In future, a novel LED light module could make displays thinner and lighter for light guide plate (LGP) applications.

Using descriptive and explanatory research methodologies, researchers have qualitatively investigated factors influential in causing our nation's youth to decide whether to select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as their academic majors. Furthermore, researchers have also examined what causes African American men and women to decide whether they desire to become engineers and scientists. Using preexisting studies numerous themes have emerged from these data, which supports educational outreach as a powerful tool for encouraging our youth to consider the STEM disciplines. This paper highlights Air Force Research Laboratory researchers' efforts in combating the forces that could jeopardize our nation's position as one of the leaders in technology and scientific innovations.

Since 1995, the New England Board of Education (NEBHE) has been providing curriculum and professional development as well as laboratory improvement in optics/photonics to middle school and high school teachers and college faculty across the United States. With funding from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education program, NEBHE's optics/photonics education projects have created a national network of educational and industry alliances resulting in opportunities in optics and photonics for students at participating schools and colleges. The cornerstone of NEBHE projects is collaboration among educational levels, career counselors and teachers/faculty, and industry and academia. In such a rich atmosphere of cooperation, participants have been encouraged to create their own regional projects and activities involving students from middle school through four-year universities. In this paper we will describe the evolution of teacher/faculty professional development from a traditional week-long summer workshop to a collaborative distance learning laboratory course based on adult learning principles and supported by a national network of industry mentors.

In 1839 Louis Daguerre published his process for permanently fixing optical images, and created an instant need for a high-aperture, relatively wide-field and well-corrected lens. Within a year, an optical design meeting all of these requirements was provided by Professor Joseph Petzval, a mathematician with no previous background in optics. This optical design was revolutionary in that it was well corrected for aberration over a wide-field at the unprecedented speed of f/3.5. As Petzval never published explicit details of his method for designing lenses, the credit for the invention of an aberration theory applicable to lens design has gone in the first place to Seidel, and later to those who developed high-order coefficients such as Schwarzschild, T Smith and Buchdahl. It is the contention of this paper that this has been an historical injustice, and that sufficient evidence exists, and indeed has existed in part since well before Seidel published his derivation of third-order aberration coefficients, to establish Petzval as the original pioneer of third-and-higher-order aberration theory as a tool for lens design.

Optical design has always been conducted on the leading edge of computing hardware. In fact, the first significant run on the first large scale computer was made by James G. Baker, in 1945. Recently, a rare, complete set of reports on the earliest work to adapt optical design to large computers surfaced. This paper discusses specifically the early work aimed at automated optical design that is documented in these reports.

The project is collaboration between two scientific societies, the Optical Society of America (OSA) and SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The program is designed to bring science education enrichment to thousands of underrepresented middle school students in more than ten states, including female and minority students, who typically have not been the beneficiaries of science and engineering resources and investments. HOO provides each teacher with up to six activity modules, each containing enough materials for up to 30 students to participate in 6-8 hours of hands-on optics-related activities. Sample activities, developed by education specialists at NOAO, include building kaleidoscopes and telescopes, communicating with a beam of light, and a hit-the-target laser beam challenge. Teachers engage in two days of training and, where possible, are partnered with a local optics professional (drawn from the local rosters of SPIE and OSA members) who volunteers to spend time with the teacher and students as they explore the module activities. Through these activities, students gain experience and understanding of optics principles, as well as learning the basics of inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving skills involving optics, and how optics interfaces with other disciplines. While the modules were designed for use in informal after- school or weekend sessions, the number of venues has expanded to large and small science centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, summer camps, family workshops, and use in the classroom.

For well over a decade, the Laser Electro-Optics Technology (LET) program has been teaching introductory laser and optics classes at Irvine Valley College (IVC). At the beginning of the telecom boom, the Irvine CACT was established to teach optics fabrication to support the many optics fabrication businesses in Southern California. In the past few years, these two programs have merged - with some help from the Optics Institute of Southern California (OISC) - and grown under the newly established Advanced Technology and Education Park (ATEP). IVC and ATEP are both operated by the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD). This year a new program of three courses was established to teach, in sequence, lens, optical systems and optomechanical systems design. This paper reviews the reasons for establishing these courses and their content, the students' motivations for taking them and their employers' incentives for encouraging the students.

Illumination engineering is the novel field of more general field of optical design and engineering. A seminar, project-based course has been started at the College of Optical Science, The Univ. of Arizona. Topics include lightpipes, sources, sampling, modeling methods, reflectors, and displays. Guest lecturers from industry provide a wealth of additional content. The goal is to education our next generation of optical designers about this intriguing, complex, yet understudied field. Other goals are to provide training in nonsequential optical design software, connections between experimental data and modeling, and the non-technical aspects of the illumination field.

In the modern era, art and technology have been at opposite ends of the spectrum of human study. Artists tend to be non-technical and technologists tend not to be artistic. While this is a broad generalization, it is rare to find an artist teaching science or an engineer teaching art. However, if we think back several centuries, it was very common for great artists to be at the forefront of technology. The prime example being the great Leonardo Di Vinci. Over the past several years, the optics educational outreach programs of the Optics Institute of Southern California (OISC) have incorporated using art and artists to help teach optics and related science. The original use of this was with material from the General Atomics Education Foundation, Color My World, which has been used in a number of settings. Recently, the OISC has partnered with the UC Irvine Beall Center for Art + Technology to provide Family Day Event presentations that use the themes of current Art + Technology exhibits to help attendees learn and understand more about the fundamental science through the art. The two main concepts here are that artists are using science and technology as the basis for their art, also sometimes making some social statements; and the technologists are using the art to make the science more accessible and interesting to the general pubic. This paper weaves a path from the original OISC uses of art to the recent work at UC Irvine.

We seek methods of stimulating young school children to develop an interest in science and engineering through a natural curiosity for the reaction of light. Science learning now begins fully at middle school. Reading skills develop with activity at home and progress through the elementary school curriculum, and in a like manner, a curious interest in science also should begin at that stage of life. Within the ranks of educators, knowledge of optical science needs to be presented to elementary school students in an entertaining manner. One such program used by the authors is Doug Goodman's Optics Demonstrations With the Overhead Projector, co-published by and available from OSA (Optical Society of America) and SPIE-The International Society of Optical Engineering. These demonstrations have been presented in middle and high schools; however, as a special approach, the authors have developed selected Goodman demonstrations as a "Magic Show of Light" for elementary schools. Teachers in the U.S. are overloaded with classroom instruction specifically targeted at improving reading and math scores on the Standard Achievement Test (SAT); therefore, science is getting "short changed" in the education system. For the sake of our future, industry volunteers must come forward to promote interest in science beginning with K-6.

In order to scan a line, the scanning optics usually employs either NSG's SELFOC lens or a 1:1 lenslet array. Each of these two methods has its limitation. The SELFOC lens' numerical aperture (NA) is low, which limits its light-collection efficiency. A 1:1 lenslet array can have a high NA, but its resolution along the scanning direction is low, which means it is not suitable for 2-D scanning. In this paper, line scan optics with a high NA will be discussed. Unlike the above-mentioned methods, this method has the same high resolution in both line and scan directions. It has a 1:-1 (preferred 1:<-1) relationship between the object and the image. A number of groups of lenses, based on the length of the object, is required and are arranged along a single plane. The field of each group is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the lens. Each group of lenses images a segment of the object onto the image plane. The magnification of each group should be less than 1:-1, for example, 1:-0.95, so that the image of each segment will not overlap in the sensor when one long sensor is used, or it will not be larger than the sensor when each group has its own sensor. After the image of each segment is read from the sensor, it is reverted and, with the help of image processing, all of the images are connected together to form an image of the whole line.

We have developed the Space Imaging Optical Guidance for Ground Vehicle that uses the narrow field view of the Space Imaging Measurement System based on the fixed lens and fast moving detector to detect the objects to be evaded and the wide field view of the visible optical fine camera to set the drive path. In particular the angel between the optical axis of the narrow field view and the roadside object is very small. Therefore we considered the image segmentation processing of the narrow field view. This provides the accurate detection of the roadside object and its distance. To confirm the guidance ability of the Space Imaging Optical Guidance for Ground Vehicle we tested the Space Imaging Optical Guidance for Ground Vehicle on the road. The road has the object on the road and the roadside wall. The Space Imaging Optical Guidance for Ground Vehicle can detect the object and the surface of the wall and its distance.

RL Associates Inc. has designed a novel 12-channel, multi-spectral beam splitter which covers the visible region of the spectrum. Commonly-used beam splitting techniques include dichroic mirrors, spectral bandpass filters, ruled diffraction gratings, and prisms, all of which are large and difficult to handle. The RL Associates' beam splitter, developed for the US Navy's multi-spectral imaging programs, uses multiplexed volume holographic gratings. A volume holographic optical splitter offers multi-channel splitting in a single element which can be customized to accommodate a broad range of sensor array geometries. The RL Associates beam splitter has an efficiency of 75% or greater, and an angular acceptance of up to 25 degrees. These gratings are written in a thermally stable photosensitive glass. Currently, a 12-channel beam splitter has been developed by multiplexing three volume holograms in a 2x2 array with each element being offset by approximately 35 nm. The output of each element is then directed toward a separate imaging detector. Each detector is placed at a specific, unique position relative to the other detectors. This ensures that no cross talk occurs between beam splitting elements. A prototype beam splitter is currently under development. This beam splitter will extend into the short-wave infrared region while still working in the visible region.

Rapid thermal annealing that utilizes broadband flash lamp sources requires optical diagnostics for instantaneous thermal mapping of silicon wafers and its in-situ monitoring during the process. A new split channel optical assembly offering simultaneous imaging via CMOS- and FPA-imager was designed. Reverse telephoto optical design allows distortion of <2.5% in both imaging paths over the field of view of ±18° with deep field range and no instrument protrusion into the semiconductor process chamber. Application of solarization resistant materials in a first negative group as well as a rugged housing suits the design to optically harsh environments. Additional stray light measures were taken to control heat dissipation inside the narrow lens barrel by the arrangement of refractive surfaces and absorptive baffles. The beam splitter in front of a second positive group is made of silicon, which both provides preliminary spectral filtering in the near infrared through-channel and further extends spectral capabilities of the visible (reflected) channel into UV-B region. Detailed lens performance, manufacturing aspects and other use of the lens - for direct discrimination of water-containing objects from the image pattern are reviewed.

Optical smart cards are devices containing a retro-reflector, light modulator, and some computing and data storage capabilities to affect semi-passive communication. They do not produce light; instead they modulate and send back light received from a stationary unit. These devices can replace contact-based smart cards as well as RF based ones for applications ranging from identification to transmitting and validating data. Since their transmission is essentially focused on the receiving unit, they are harder to eavesdrop than RF devices, yet need no physical contact or alignment. In this paper we explore optical design issues of these devices and estimate their optical behavior. Specifically, we analyze how these compact devices can be optimized for selected application profiles. Some of the key parameters addressed are effective light efficiency (how much modulated signal can be received by the stationary unit given the amount of light it transmits), range of tilt angles (angle between device surface normal to the line connecting the optical smart card with the stationary unit) through which the device would be effective, and power requirements of the semi-passive unit. In addition, issues concerning compact packaging of this device are discussed. Finally, results of the analysis are employed to produce a comparison of achievable capabilities of these optical smart cards, as opposed to alternative devices, and discuss potential applications were they can be best utilized.

The demand of a large resolution CMOS image sensor (CIS) in a small package drives the pixel pitch size down to the neighborhood of 2 μm. Double-micro-lens (ML) structure is a promising technology to obtain the high focusing capability required by such a small pixel. In this work, an optical model of a double-ML is derived from the well-known lens maker equation. This model predicts the critical back focal length (BFL) and the effective focal length (EFL) of the double-ML embedded in the Back-End-Of-The-Line (BEOL) stack. Explained by this model, a design guideline is provided to optimize the amount of light collected by the photo diode area for a good quantum efficiency (QE), which is crucial to the sensitivity of the sensor.

Unlike the designs of common zoom lenses in literature, mobilephone applications demand an extremely short total track length (TTL), less around 10 mm. This short TTL request makes the zoom lens design of mobile phones unique. Also in viewing the cost advantage of CMOS sensor, we explore the mobilephone camera zoom lens with typical CMOS sensor format by global explorer (GE) optimization as well as the fundamental limitations. The basic lens forms for initial designs are deduced. Physically different merit functions have been developed to investigate how the best performance could be achieved. Furthermore, we also identify the improvements that could be achieved by GE optimization.

A state-of-the-art strategy in developing novel technologies is offered in this paper. Using MEMS, resonant cavity LED (RCLED) and DOE processes, one can manufacture an integrated optoelectronic semiconductor device. Using MEMS process to implement the surface topology of the DOE on the diffraction layer of the resonant cavity LED, the chiseled RCLED will become as a DOE-RCLED. The DOE-RCLED can be used to control the energy distribution of the emitted light. In this paper, the scalar diffraction principle and Dammann grating are used to design a special LED of which the emitted light can be focused on an optical fiber.

A novel design of a zoom lens system without motorized movements is proposed. The lens system consists of a fixed lens and two double-liquid variable-focus lenses. The liquid lenses, made out of two immiscible liquids, are based on the principle of electrowetting: an effect controlling the wetting properties of a liquid on a solid by modifying the applied voltage at the solid-liquid interface. The structure and principle of the lens system are introduced in this paper. And detailed calculations and simulation examples are presented to predict how two liquid lenses are related to meet the basic requirements of zoom lenses.

In a recent paper we have reported on the feasibility of reducing the problem of structural design of a multicomponent lens system in accordance with a prespecified set of Gaussian characteristics and primary aberration targets to the relatively simpler problem of determining optimum structures for the component lenses with central aberration targets. The structural design of the individual components can be suitably tackled by evolutionary algorithm so that one can obtain globally or quasiglobally optimum solutions for the purpose. Details of the latter part of the approach are presented in this paper. Contrary to the usual practice of heuristic selection of glass types for the lens elements of the component, the glass types for individual lens elements are treated as discrete independent variables to be selected from a set of prespecified list of actual glasses. We have dealt with the global or quasiglobal synthesis of the individual lens components with the help of structures of increasing complexity, e.g. singlets, cemented doublets, broken contact doublets, cemented triplets, photovisual objectives etc. as necessary for the purpose. The total configuration space consists of continuous variables like shape variable and power distributions, and discrete variables like available glass types. This approach reduces significantly the chance of overlooking promising and better solutions by carrying out searches in the total configuration space simultaneously. Some illustrative examples will be presented.

In this work, a novel approach for numerical wave-front reconstruction in arbitrary phase step digital holography is presented. We present a simple and effective approach for digital holography microscopy that can be used for the 3D reconstruction of micro-structure images. The experimental results demonstrate that only two digital holograms and a simple estimation are required for the twin-image suppression and numerical reconstruction. The advantages of this approach are its simplicity, in that only one estimate equation need be applied, and its effectiveness, in that the exact phase profile of a micro lens array is presented, without blurring due to numerical reconstruction or aberration caused by the quadratic phase micro objective lens.

A brand-new approach in developing VCSEL lense is presented in this paper. Using the laser process or yellow light lithography process, we can merge semiconductor laser and diffraction optics elements (DOE) to become a single semiconductor optoelectronic device. To match the surface topology of the DOE with the structure of semiconductor laser, the DOE is carved on the SiO₂ layer of the vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The chiseled optoelectronic semiconductor element becomes as a DOE-VCSEL device, it has the DOE function to control the emission distribution of the emitting laser.

The current Integral Field Units (IFUs) are limited either by their cost/risk or by their performance. In particular, standard glass manufacturing techniques allow reaching high level of performances: accurate roughness (high throughput), sharp edges (about 1 micron), surface form (image quality), etc. in spite of their reputation to be costly and risky. Combining high performances and low costs is challenging. By coupling fast tools specifically developed at LAM to design IFU, and innovative low-cost and low-risk methods of manufacturing, we are able to reach high performances while saving costs and time by an order of magnitude. We have developed a demonstrator which validates our tools and manufacturing methods in terms of optical image quality, slice edges quality and decentring errors. We will present these results and an example of IFU designed with our tools. All these processes of optimization between manufacturing techniques and design can be applied for future ground-based instruments (MUSE, KMOS for the VTL; MOMFIS of the ELT) or into future space instruments (SNAP).

We report on the design and performance of a wavelength-tunable light source for illumination of fluorescent samples. The requirements included a maximum possible irradiance at the sample, rapid and continuous tuning between wavelengths over the range of 400-800 nm with 10-40 nm wide spectral output pass bands, 3 dB out-of-band spectral rejection, and coupling of the light into a fiber bundle for delivery to the sample. We selected an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) for spectral tuning and a xenon arc lamp as the input source in this application. The tuning range of the AOTF was 450-750 nm, necessitating the use of additional narrow-band interference filters to tune across the entire 400-800 nm range. The AOTF had a 4.2° separation angle between the diffracted and non-diffracted beams. In order to achieve the best out-of-band rejection possible and to avoid overlap of the beams, the input source must diverge less than half the separation angle. The active aperture of the AOTF was 10 mm × 10 mm. The optical design included separate beam paths for the AOTF and interference filters that resulted in optimizing the throughput for each case and matching both beams to the numerical aperture of the fiber bundle. We discuss the design process, our prototype system, and issues to be addressed for use of an AOTF in fluorescent excitation applications.