Common Sense In Optical Specifications

N. Balasubramanian; M. Hercher

doi:10.1117/12.954224

1 March 1974 Common Sense In Optical Specifications

N. Balasubramanian, M. Hercher

Proceedings Volume 0054, Effective Systems Integration and Optical Design I; (1974) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.954224
Event: Acquisition and Analysis of Pictorial Data, 1974, San Diego, United States

Abstract

In designing optical systems, most designers at some point are con-fronted with the problem of specifying optical components that lie outside their area of expertise. The common practice in these circumstances has been to specify the "best" (i.e. most expensive) component. This attitude often leads to consid-erable waste of time, effort and money. We illustrate our point of view by considering in detail many of the common examples of unduely stringent and often inconsistent specifications for optical components. Some of the examples are: Specification of 1/200th wave flat mirrors for Fabry-Perot interferometers without consideration to other limiting deformities caused by coating, mounting, etc. Specifications calling for bulky prism systems (usually made of high quality quartz) when inexpensive mirrors could do the same job. Specification of interferometric quality glass for optical windows with quarter-wave flatness and parallelism, when selected float - glass could be used at much reduced cost. Specification of an expensive laser collimator and spatial filter for use in holography, when $50 worth of surplus optics plus a pinhole would do as well. Specification of a high degree of mechanical parallelism between faces of optical components without consideration of optical parallelism (as in large discs of laser glass). The discussion presented also includes a number of techniques in design and specification of optical components which can ultimately result in improved cost effectiveness.

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N. Balasubramanian and M. Hercher "Common Sense In Optical Specifications", Proc. SPIE 0054, Effective Systems Integration and Optical Design I, (1 March 1974); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.954224

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