Optical engineering

Optical engineering is the field of engineering encompassing the physical phenomena and technologies associated with the generation, transmission, manipulation, detection, and utilization of light.^[2] Optical engineers use the science of optics to solve problems and to design and build devices that make light do something useful.^[3] They design and operate optical equipment that uses the properties of light using physics and chemistry,^[4] such as lenses, microscopes, telescopes, lasers, sensors, fiber-optic communication systems and optical disc systems (e.g. CD, DVD).

Optical engineering metrology uses optical methods to measure either micro-vibrations with instruments like the laser speckle interferometer, or properties of masses with instruments that measure refraction.^[5]

Nano-measuring and nano-positioning machines are devices designed by optical engineers. These machines, for example microphotolithographic steppers, have nanometer precision, and consequently are used in the fabrication of goods at this scale.^[6]

References

^ "ESO Awards ELT Sensor Contract to Teledyne e2v". www.eso.org. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
^ Read "Harnessing Light: Optical Science and Engineering for the 21st Century" at NAP.edu. 1998. doi:10.17226/5954. ISBN 978-0-309-05991-6.
^ "An Introduction to Optical Design | Synopsys". www.synopsys.com. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
^ Walker, Bruce H (1998). Optical Engineering Fundamentals. SPIE Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8194-2764-9.
^ Walker, Bruce H (1998). Optical Engineering Fundamentals, SPIE Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8194-2764-9
^ Manske E. (2019) Nanopositioning and Nanomeasuring Machines. In: Gao W. (eds) Metrology. Precision Manufacturing. Springer, Singapore. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4938-5_2

Driggers, Ronald G. (ed.) (2003). Encyclopedia of Optical Engineering. New York: Marcel Dekker. 3 vols. ISBN 978-0-8247-0940-2
Bruce H. Walker, Historical Review, SPIE Press, Bellingham, WA. ISBN 978-0-8194-7877-1 doi:10.1117/3.818136.ch2
FTS Yu & Xiangyang Yang (1997) Introduction to Optical Engineering, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-57493-5.
Optical Engineering (ISSN 0091-3286)