4 ECTS credits
110 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4017595ENR for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
The focus of this course is on the practical design of non-imaging optical systems through hands-on exercises at the computer. Practical examples of illumination systems, concentrators, optical filters and coherent light propagation will be tackled in commercial ray-tracing software.
In this course we (1) introduce ray-trace simulation software (Principles of ray-tracing, sequential/non-sequential ray-tracing, Implementation of optical systems in ray-tracing software, Implementation of light sources in ray-tracing software, Evaluation of ray-trace results (spot diagrams...)), (2) gain insight in optimization an optical system (Variables and free-form surfaces, Merit functions and parameter sweeps, Optimization methodologies), (3) obtain an understanding in ‘homogenization and concentration’ of light (Basic concepts of radiometry, Analysing energy distributions, Optical components to realize uniform light distributions, Light concentration: fundamental limits), (4) analyse scattering and stray-light (Ray-multiplication, Modelling scattering, Scatter analysis methods, exercises in commercial ray-tracing software of stray-light analysis and illumination systems using scattering), (5) introduce wave optics (Limitations of standard ray-tracing, Modelling interference and diffraction by using the Gaussian beam superposition method, Design of optical systems in commercial ray-tracing software with important interference/diffraction properties (e.g. fibre coupler, interferometer, laser beam shaping)); (6) investigate multilayers and colour (Principles of thin-film interference filters, The quarter-wave coating as starting design for different optical filters, Photometry and colour, Design of multilayer coatings with Essential Macleod and analysing the system performance in commercial ray-tracing software).
All course material will be made available electronically in a shared drive. Communication will take place via the Canvas platform.
This course module gives to the student the needed basic knowledge to design, evaluate and optimize non-imaging systems. Imaging systems are subject of the course ‘Design of Refractive and Diffractive Optical Imaging Systems’. Because of this complementarity it is advised to the student to follow both courses in order to have a total overview of all types of systems.
To understand / remember the difference between a non-imaging and an imaging system.
To understand / remember the concept of optical ray tracing .
To understand / remember the difference between sequential and non- sequential ray-tracing .
To understand / remember the benefits and limitations associated with optical ray tracing .
To understand / remember the various steps associated with the simulation of an optical system with ray tracing (definition geometry, modeling light sources , analysis).
To understand / remember the difference between surfaces with a spherical , an aspherical and a free-form structure and the associated degrees of freedom during their design.
To understand / remember how these surfaces are defined ( eg understanding NURBS curve) .
To understand / remember the concepts 'merit function' and 'parameter sweeps’ to optimize a system.
To understand / remember the algorithms that are used to optimize a system.
To understand / remember why defining ‘ constraints’ is important for the optimization process.
To understand / remember the basic concepts of radiometry.
To understand / remember how to analyze light distributions.
To understand / remember how uniform light distributions can be obtained by using a light integrator.
To understand / remember the concept of ‘Etendue’.
To understand / remember how to concentrate light with an elliptical reflector , a parabolic reflector or with a CPC device.
To understand / remember the 'Edge Ray Principle'
To understand / remember the difference between specular and diffuse reflection and how they are modeled using ray-tracing tools .
To understand / remember the concept of ‘ray multiplication’.
To understand / remember how scattering (e.g. obtained via experimental means) is modelled (scatter models ) and analyzed .
To understand / remember the concepts ‘TIS’ and ‘BSDF’.
To understand / remember the difference between the standard applied ‘splitting’ method and a Monte Carlo technique .
To understand / remember what 'wave optic ' is.
To understand / remember how and why we want to model wave optics using rays.
To understand / remember what the limits are of wave optics.
To understand / remember the basic concepts of photometry.
To understand / remember how thin film optical filters are defined.
To understand / remember how multi -layer coatings are designed and analyzed.
To understand / remember how to analyze color.
To understand / remember the difference between a non-imaging and an imaging system.
To understand / remember the concept of optical ray tracing .
To understand / remember the difference between sequential and non- sequential ray-tracing .
To understand / remember the benefits and limitations associated with optical ray tracing .
To understand / remember the various steps associated with the simulation of an optical system with ray tracing (definition geometry, modeling light sources , analysis).
To understand / remember the difference between surfaces with a spherical , an aspherical and a free-form structure and the associated degrees of freedom during their design.
To understand / remember how these surfaces are defined ( eg understanding NURBS curve) .
To understand / remember the concepts 'merit function' and 'parameter sweeps’ to optimize a system.
To understand / remember the algorithms that are used to optimize a system.
To understand / remember why defining ‘ constraints’ is important for the optimization process.
To understand / remember the basic concepts of radiometry.
To understand / remember how to analyze light distributions.
To understand / remember how uniform light distributions can be obtained by using a light integrator.
To understand / remember the concept of ‘Etendue’.
To understand / remember how to concentrate light with an elliptical reflector , a parabolic reflector or with a CPC device.
To understand / remember the 'Edge Ray Principle'
To understand / remember the difference between specular and diffuse reflection and how they are modeled using ray-tracing tools .
To understand / remember the concept of ‘ray multiplication’.
To understand / remember how scattering (e.g. obtained via experimental means) is modelled (scatter models ) and analyzed .
To understand / remember the concepts ‘TIS’ and ‘BSDF’.
To understand / remember the difference between the standard applied ‘splitting’ method and a Monte Carlo technique .
To understand / remember what 'wave optic ' is.
To understand / remember how and why we want to model wave optics using rays.
To understand / remember what the limits are of wave optics.
To understand / remember the basic concepts of photometry.
To understand / remember how thin film optical filters are defined.
To understand / remember how multi -layer coatings are designed and analyzed.
To understand / remember how to analyze color.
The student must be able to design an optical system (lighting systems, concentrators, optical filters, coherent systems).
The student must be able to simulate an optical system using the available software tools.
The student must be able to analyse the simulation results.
The student must be able to define meaningful specifications, system limitations and relevant physical limits.
The student must be able to collaborate with other students while solving an optical design problem.
The student must be able to design an optical system (lighting systems, concentrators, optical filters, coherent systems).
The student must be able to simulate an optical system using the available software tools.
The student must be able to analyse the simulation results.
The student must be able to define meaningful specifications, system limitations and relevant physical limits.
The student must be able to collaborate with other students while solving an optical design problem.
The student must be able to design an optical system (lighting systems, concentrators, optical filters, coherent systems).
The student must be able to simulate an optical system using the available software tools.
The student must be able to analyse the simulation results.
The student must be able to define meaningful specifications, system limitations and relevant physical limits.
The student must be able to collaborate with other students while solving an optical design problem.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Practical Exam determines 60% of the final mark.
SELF Practical Assignment determines 40% of the final mark.
Within the Practical Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Within the SELF Practical Assignment category, the following assignments need to be completed:
During the course three types of exercises are tackled. Class exercises are guided examples that will be worked out during the course hours. The solutions of these exercises will be made available at the end of the course. Home exercises are additional exercises that are defined to give the students the opportunity to further practice at home. Home exercises are not assessed. Finally, during the course 4 student exercises will be defined that need to be worked out by the students (individually or in group of maximum 2 students). The evaluation of these student exercises will be included in the total score (40% of total). The submission deadlines will be defined during the course. The remaining 60% of the marks are linked to the exam project. Here the student is asked to work out a project exercise. As a topic of this project exercise two options are given.
Option 1: the solving of a complex optical system of your choice with one of the ray-tracing tools handled during the course (examples include but are not limited to a microscope system, a light projector, a display, an interferometric test system, a system including a lab-on-a-chip, a machine vision system, a scanning-based system, a spectrometer system).
Option 2: here the student is asked to perform the modelling and analysis work using both ray-tracing tools handled during the course and to benchmark the results. The amount and complexity of the envisioned systems depend on the sub-option selected by the student. Three sub-options are offered: (1) For 2 new proposed student/home exercises (smaller systems limited to 3 components excluding the source and the detector); (2) For 4 existing- class exercises; (3) For a more extended system (>3 components) - cfr. described systems in the articles included in the knowledge databases of Ansys Zemax OpticStudio and ASAP Breault.
The exam mark (60% of the total mark) is assigned as follows:
The description of the exam holds for both on-campus and on-line students and this for all exam periods. The format (on-campus or on-line) follows the type of subscription of the student (an on-campus exam for the on-campus students and an on-line exam for the on-line students). In case of force majeure situations (illness, lock-down, conflict with internship in the resit period) on-campus students are allowed to take an on-line exam.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Photonics Engineering: On campus traject
Master of Photonics Engineering: Online/Digital traject