Module 4 Overview - Optical System
A ray bundle is defined by a section of a wavefront this is captured but an optical system. The rays in the ray bundle are the k-vectors normal to the wave-fronts captured by the optical system.
Because an optical system, usual composed of lenses, mirrors, prisms, and other optical components, cannot be infinitely large -- only a small section of the light source is captured. This necessarily means some 'information' from the source will be lost. This defines a diffraction limited optical system i.e., a system that makes a perfect image, aside from the affects of a limiting aperture.
In this module we will explore the realm of geometric optics. We can conceptualize this by letting λ → 0 in the work we've done up to this point. Any behavior of light that is specifically tied to the wave nature will no longer be observable in this limit. Simply put, we will neglect an effects of diffraction on the light.
Objectives
Upon completion of this week, students should be able to:
- Perform ray tracing of simple optical systems
- Ray trace a single lens system
- Ray trace a single mirror system
- Choose the correct optics for a particular task
- focusing a collimated beam
- collimating a point source
- State the thin lens equation
- Employ matrix methods for analytic ray tracing of multielement optical systems
Assignments and Assessments
This is an approximation of the amount of time each activity will take the average student. If you find you are taking more time than suggested, please contact me for help.
| Activity | Approximate Time Commitment (Hours) | Action | Due Date | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Module Overview | 0.15 | Review | ||
| Module Readings | 12.5 | Read and reflect | August 7 | |
| Homework | 12.5 | Complete the homework | August 7 | 50 |
| Total: | 25.15 | 50 |