This course can also be taken for academic credit as ECEA 5600, part of CU Boulder’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering degree.
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First Order Optical System Design
This course is part of Optical Engineering Specialization
![Robert McLeod](https://d3njjcbhbojbot.cloudfront.net/api/utilities/v1/imageproxy/https://coursera-instructor-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/01/3dba70a9ef11e7a130271026fac4dc/McLeod-head-shot-Oct-2008-small.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=1&w=75&h=75&fit=crop)
Instructor: Robert McLeod
21,693 already enrolled
Included with
(321 reviews)
What you'll learn
be able to design, to first order, such optical systems with simple mathematical and graphical techniques
Details to know
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13 assignments
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There are 5 modules in this course
This module introduces rays, which we use to describe the motion of light through air and materials. The course overview describes the goals of this course and gives tips on how to make the best use of the course materials to be successful. The lectures introduce the material. The in-video questions, lab demonstrations, PhET interactive demonstration, practice problems, and homework assignment allow you to get actively involved in learning the material.
What's included
9 videos3 readings3 assignments4 discussion prompts
In this module, you will learn how to enter the description of an optical system into OpticStudio, analyze the performance of that system using various calculations and plots, and finally optimize that design by defining a merit function and search variables.
What's included
7 videos5 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
This module applies Snell's Laws to the curved interfaces of lenses and mirrors. You will learn the graphical and mathematical tools you need to calculate image size and location for thin lens and mirror systems. This foundation is essential to build more complex optical systems.
What's included
12 videos1 reading3 assignments1 discussion prompt
This module extends the analysis of the previous module to include the effects of real, thick lenses. You will learn how to input this factor into your optical system analysis and design.
What's included
8 videos2 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt
For multiple element optical systems, the mathematical tools introduced in this module will make analysis faster and more efficient. In this module, you will learn how to cascade multiple lens systems using matrix multiplication.
What's included
10 videos3 readings3 assignments
Instructor
![Robert McLeod](https://d3njjcbhbojbot.cloudfront.net/api/utilities/v1/imageproxy/https://coursera-instructor-photos.s3.amazonaws.com/01/3dba70a9ef11e7a130271026fac4dc/McLeod-head-shot-Oct-2008-small.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=1&w=75&h=75&fit=crop)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Electrical Engineering
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Build toward a degree
This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
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Reviewed on Aug 16, 2020
Excellent content and instruction. Difficult to get feedback on problems with software and quiz answer input.
Reviewed on Apr 23, 2022
Excellent content and instructor, but, resources for this online course are a bit limited. Getting the OpticStudio software was a challenge.
Reviewed on Jan 7, 2022
One inconvenience is the windows software. But I mainly aimed to study the mathematics and it is quite helpful with all the explorations needed with the problem sets.
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