Optical Design and Instrumentation Division

Division Overview

This division is concerned with design, development and fabrication of optical systems and devices that are primarily associated with classical optics. The division comprises six Technical Groups that together define the means to manipulate light between the source and the sensor. Each group is strongly identified with engineering and developmental aspects of optical systems in addition to basic investigations.

What’s Hot in Optics Today?

Find out more about the current activities of this division, as well as emerging topics in the field and current challenges by reading this presentation by Scott Lerner, Hewlett-Packard, Division Chair.

Division Overview Presentation

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Technical Groups

Optical Fabrication and Testing

This group provides a focus for OSA members who are involved in the manufacturing and testing of optical components and systems. Topics include: fabrication, polishing, assembly and testing of optical components and systems, novel instrumentation and methods, optical shop techniques, and a forum for discussion on shop standards.

Optical System Design

The Optical System Design Group is concerned with the design and analysis of systems that manipulate light between a source and detector. Topics of interest include: classical lens design of imaging and non-imaging systems, including design for manufacturing capability; employment of diffractive, holographic, gradient index, micro-optics, waveguides, and other innovative components into optical system design; and modelling of optical systems, including physical optics, straylight, scattering, and integration of modelling with structural and environmental analyses.

Optical Systems for Earth, Air and Space

This group looks at the design and development of active and adaptive optics technology for wavefront correction and control of ground, air and space-based optical systems. The group addresses planning and execution of optical experiments conducted from ground, airborne or space-based platforms.

Polarization Engineering

The Polarization Engineering Group is interested in the large range of polarization issues which arise in designing, testing, using, and manufacturing polarization components, optical components, and optical systems.  Many optical systems are polarization critical; it is difficult to meet the polarization specifications.  Such projects require careful attention to polarization issues and would benefit from better communication on polarization effects.  This is complicated by the complexity of polarization: retardance has three degrees of freedom, diattenuation has three, and depolarization has nine.  This group provides a focus on the interface between optical components, thin films, anisotropic materials, waveguides, nonlinear optics, coherence, optical design, and metrology where interesting polarization issues occur.

Thin Films

This group is concerned with the theoretical and experimental aspects of the design, preparation, and characterization of optical thin film materials and interference coatings.

X-Ray Optics

X-rays are used in a wide range of research and industrial fields with applications in medical imaging, microscopy, interferometry, astrophysics and astronomy, lithography, nondestructive testing, security screening and detection, and plasma diagnostics, to name just a few. The development of optics is critical to advancing the frontiers of research and technology in many newly emerging fields, such as x-ray synchrotron radiation, x-ray free-electron lasers, x-ray astrophysical and astronomy observatories, and others. These applications very often require very sophisticated optics and instrumentation, with stringent requirements to shape, manipulate, or analyze x-rays. This technical group will focus on the scientific and technological advancements pertinent to all aspects of design, modeling, characterization, fabrication, and calibration of x-ray refractive, reflective, and diffractive optical elements and systems such as grazing incidence and multilayer x-ray mirrors, monochromators, gratings, polarizers, zone plates, Fresnel lenses, capillary optics, as well as novel optical element x-ray instrumentation. The group will provide a forum for both scientific and academic researchers, as well as the industrial community

Division Leadership

Scott Lerner, Division Chair (10/06-10/08) Hewlett-Packard MS 123A 1000 NE Circle Blvd. Corvallis, OR 97330 Tel: +1 541.715.3866 E-mail: lerner@hp.com

R. John Koshel, Division Chair-Elect (9/07-10/08) Lambda Res. Corp. 8922 East Calle Pasto Tucson AZ 85715 Tel: +1 520.626.9210 Fax: +1 520.626.4299 E-mail: john.koshel@osa.org

Optical Fabrication & Testing

Peter Blake, Chair (10/06-10/08) Goddard Space Flight Center Code 551 Greenbelt MD 20771 Tel: +1 301.286.4211 Fax: +1 301.286.0204 E-mail: peter.n.blake@nasa.gov

Optical System Design

Pablo Benitez, Vice-Chair (9/07-10/08) Universidad Politecnica de Madrid E.T.S.I Telecommunicacion Ciudad Universitaria 28040 Madrid SPAIN Tel: +34 15441060 Fax: +34 15446341 E-mail: pbenitez@etsit.upm.es

Optical Systems for Earth, Air, and Space

Polarization Engineering

Thomas Brown, Chair (9/07-10/09) University of Rochester Inst. of Optics 205 Doncaster Rd Rochester NY 14623-0000 Tel: +1 585.275.7816 Fax: +1 585.244.4936 E-mail: brown@optics.rochester.edu

Thin Films

Linda Lingg, Chair (9/07-10/09) MLD Technologies, LLC 2672 Bayshore Pkwy Ste 701 Mountain View , CA 94303 Tel: +1 650.938.4485 Fax: +1 650.938.3113 E-mail: llingg@mldtech.com

X-Ray Optics

Lahsen Assoufid, Chair (10/06-10/08) Argonne National Laboratory Bldg. 401-B3184 9700 S. Cass Ave. Argonne, IL 60439-0000 Tel: +1 630.252.2774 Fax: +1 630.252.9303 E-mail: assoufid@aps.anl.gov

Regina Soufli, Vice-Chair (9/07-10/08) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Physics and Advanced Technologies 7000 East Ave. L-210 Livermore, CA 94550-0000 Tel: +1 925.422.6013 Fax: +1 925.423.1488 E-mail: regina.soufli@llnl.gov