Light. Optical rays and their properties. Image formation.
Paraxial ray tracing. Paraxial properties of simple optical systems. The prism, the angle of minimum deviation.
-Warren J. Smith, "Modern Optical Engineering", McGraw-Hill (2008)
-Warren J. Smith, "Practical Optical System Layout", McGraw-Hill (1997)
-L. Ronchi Abbozzo, D. Mugnai "Ottica classica, teoria della visione, ottica ondulatoria, CNR, 2008
- George Smith, David A. Atchison “The eye and visual optical instruments” Cambridge University press, 1997
-E. Hecht, M Coffey, P Dolen “Optics” 4th ed., (Addison Wesley, 2002)
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
The student acquires knowledge about the nature of light, the images formation and on simple optical systems.
Acquired skills:
The student acquires a model (optical rays) to describe light, a technique (paraxial ray tracing) to simulate the light propagation and learn to use these tools to determine the imaging properties of simple optical systems.
Skills acquired at the end of the course:
Within the paraxial approximation the student will be able to understand the imaging properties of a general optical system
Prerequisites
Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended)
Courses required: none
Courses recommended: none
Teaching Methods
CFU: 12
Total number of hours for Lectures (hours): 96
Part I (6 credits, Professor Vincenzo Greco)
Light as propagation of electromagnetic energy. The rays. The absolute refractive index of a transparent, homogeneous and isotropic medium. The dispersion. The law of propagation for rays. The reflection, refraction and scattering of light on a diopter. The thin prism. The Fresnel’s equations for normal incidence. The formation of images. Mathematical expression of a generic dioptre with axial symmetry. Centered optical systems. Paraxial approximation. Characteristics of a general centered paraxial optical system. The spherical dioptre. The plane dioptre . The spherical mirror. The plane mirror. The thick lens in air. The parallel optical flat in air. The thin lens in air. Centered optical systems with two thin lenses in air. Paraxial characteristics of Gullstrand’s schematic eye.
Part II (3 credits, Professor Lorenzo Fini)
Definition of a prism and its optical and geometric parameters. Deviation angle of a prism and its analytical expression. Thick and thin prisms (image formation). Optical and geometrical conditions for the propagation of a monochromatic radiation through the prism. Minimum deviation angle of the prism; its use. The prism and the polychromatic radiation. Definition of prism-diopter. Combinations of edge-edge and edge-based prisms immersed in air. The Risley prism. The application of optical laws to the comprehension of simple fenomena. The magnifying glass, the telescope, the rainbow.
Parte III (3 credits , Professor Alessandro Farini)
Lenses with prismatic effect and the concept of prism-diopter. Nominal value and corrective effect of a prism. Cylindrical lenses. Toric lenses. Generic representation of asso-symmetric surfaces. Ocular eye rotations behind lenses.