Lesson 20 – Fisheye, Telecentric, and SWIR Lenses
In this final post on types of lenses, we will be investigating fisheye, telecentric, and short-wave infrared (SWIR) lenses. The field of view for lenses is normally less than 60
Lesson 19 – Projection and Zoom Lenses
Projection lenses are another common application of optics. They differ from microscope lenses in that microscope lenses magnify what the human eye cannot see. Rather than zooming into an image,
Lesson 18 – Microscope Objectives
Microscope objective lenses are a classic example of optics in our lives. The function of the microscope is to enlarge objects our eyes cannot see. Unlike telescopes which enlarge far
Lesson 17 – Quantitative Descriptions of a Lens
In theory, the entire lens would be up to the qualifications set by the customer. After all, if a customer ordered a 150mm lens, the whole 150mm lens should be
Lesson 16 – Optical Systems II: Spherical Lenses
We briefly discussed spherical and aspherical lenses in “Intro to Optical Components”. Spherical lenses can further be broken down into different categories. Plano convex lenses are flat on one side
Lesson 15 – Optical Systems I
Lenses come in all different forms, not just through the process of manufacturing. In fact, our own eyes are an optical system. Four main “components” to our eye are: 1)
Lesson 14 – How do Atoms Emit Light?
Light sources such as the sun give off light, but why? The equation E = hf relates the wavelength of light to energy where E is energy, h is Planck’s
Lesson 13 – Diffraction Grating and Wave Plates
With the knowledge of interference and polarization, it is time to talk about the practical applications of both! Diffraction gratings are used to change the path of light and there
Lesson 12 – Polarization Revisited
Now that we have explored light waves, we can dive more in depth into polarization. In how to describe light, we mentioned that sunlight is a form of unpolarized light
Lesson 11 – Fringes and Interferometers
We left off in the interference post using water waves to represent the interference that occurs between light waves. A well known experiment having to do with interference of light
