Introductory Optomechanical Engineering / OPTI421 and 521

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  • The final project is now assigned. I was originally thinking about assigning this after the last lecture (12/9) of the semester since the last lecture will provide all the details of using SAGUARO to perform the analysis. However, in order to give you some extra time to plan, think, and prepare, I am assigning the final project (link on the right) today (12/2). I wish this helps you to study and learn important FEA analysis techniques. Please, submit your final project report to Hayden by 5 pm (MST) on 12/14. Thank you.

  • I have received a request asking if I can upload the last lecture video (for 12/9) early so students may have more time to learn, try, and work on the final project. I think this will help and benefit many students who have schedule challenges during the current COVID-19 pandemic. So, the last lecture is now (12/3) available D2L. If you want, you can watch the video and begin the final project with more time. I wish this serves many of you. Thank you.

  • Finally, it was my great pleasure to meet all of you this year. Although we couldn't meet in person, I enjoyed so many email communications and 1-on-1 zoom meetings with many of you. I also learned a lot by talking to you and listening to your comments. Please, do not forget to evaluate my course. It will be invaluable and thankful feedback to make the course even better in the future. Have a great final week and happy holidays! I am looking forward to meeting you in person on campus soon. Hayden and I send you our best thanks and wishes!

  • I got a few questions regarding the final report. I am sharing my answers here so all students can get the same information. Thank you. 1. The FEA numbers may vary among students depending on various factors such as mesh size. As long as you can explain and justify your own results in a logical and clear manner, you will get a good grade. 2. In question (d), you care about the "defocus" term only. 3. In question (e), "normal-incidence return-flat" means that you are using it for the "collimated" beam in-and-reflect-and-out configuration.

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  • • Welcome to the Opto-Mech course. Let's shape this course together as a professor and students. It is not my class, but our class. Let's learn from each other, discuss via emails & Zoom live sessions, and enjoy the new lessons. https://arizona.zoom.us/j/92185305769

  • For the first day on 8/26, we will meet at 9:30 am in the class Zoom link. Please, check your email for the access password. It will be a short live session explaining the overview of the course. I am looking forward to meeting you all! :)

    • Due to the COVID-19, all lectures will be based on pre-recorded and edited video clips utilizing lectures in the past. While I will do my best to edit the videos according to any new updates (e.g., TA info, etc), please, understand that there might be some discrepancies between the pre-recorded lecture video and actual assignments of year 2020.

    • If there are any discrepancy between the video lectures and this class website announcement (e.g., homework due dates, etc), please, follow this course website directions (not the video lecture directions).

    • All homeworks will be assigned using this website and cellected by TA. You need to email to TA by the due dates.

    • All lecture videos will be available through D2L site. You can find lecture videos under the "UA Tools -> Panopto" dropdown option on D2L website. Two videos will be updated weekly and, please, watch the videos according to the schedule schedule.

    • Our great TA Hayden inroduces himself in this short video clip. Please, check out and meet your multi-talented TA for this semester! :)

    • Here is the Doodle Poll for the TA's Zoom office hour. https://doodle.com/poll/8z5sfneaygmb38md Please, mark your preference by 1 pm (MST) on 9/4.

    • The two reference textbooks (Yoder's book and Katie/Jim's book) are not availble for distribtution anymore. However, the class homeworks/contents are still fully covered by the lecture slides that I am going to share through this website.

  • There is no on-going live Zoom sessions for regular class hours (i.e., Wed and Fri 9:30 - 10:45 am) except the first day of class (8/26). You need to watch the D2L lecture videos on shcedule (i.e., two lectures per week).

  • There will be some live Zoom session (using a part of some regular class hours) will be scheduled (through this website) in order to have a "live" discussion and Q&A sessions. This will add lively and exciting real-time communication among us! :)

  • It was great to meet you all today at the live Zoom session! :-) Here is the video link that I wanted to share during the Zoom session. It is a space telecope concept called Nautilus. Enjoy.

  • The exciting Zemax example file for the thin prism is uploaded. Please, download and enjoy. This is what I disucssed in the second lecture (8/28). :)

  • There will be a Zemax demonstration on Wednesday 9/9 during the normal class time (9:30 am MST). We will be going over the Zemax demos done in the recordings. This will give you the chance to ask questions as we go through the demonstration. Please join the following link (the password is the same as the normal class meeting room): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85754139331?pwd=cTRaZ0gvNGF0Wk9QY3NmWUEwZmw2Zz09

    • There was a technical issue uploading the lecture video 3 to D2L site. If you watched an incomplete (~40 minutes long) version, please, revisit D2L and watch the full version. Thank you and have a happy day! :)

    • Lecture-4 slides and the example Zemax files are uploaded! This will be a very fun excersize. Have a great learning time. :)

  • HW-1 is assigned. Please, find the link under the "Course Materials" section. Please, email your homework electronically to TA by 9:30 AM (Tucson time) on 9/23. If you have any questions regarding the HW, please, conatc TA. Thank you.

    • I wish you had a great Labor Day Holiday! It is time to continue our exciting opto-mech journey. The lecture materials for Lecture 5 and 6 are uploaded including the very-fun Zemax prism example files. Enjoy and learn! :)

  • Please, feel free to email me (Dae Wook) for any feedback, comments, suggestions, questions. Once I have sufficient questions received I will be happy to host a live Zoom session to dicuss them altogether. Also, if you want to have a live 1-on-1 Zoom session asking some questions or suggesting some ideas, please, do not hesitate. By all means, I am here for you. Let's shape the class together.

  • Hello everyone, according to the doodle poll, the most convenient time for office hours this semester will be on Tuesdays at 3:00PM (MST). I have made a recurring zoom meeting for office hours with the same password as all the other zoom meetings for this class. If you have questions and cannot make this time, please reach out so that we can set up another time to meet. The office hours meeting ID is: 840 5535 4872. And the link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84055354872?pwd=T0xuMlhhV2o5d1VJREJrQkFYMUxsUT09

    • Hayden did a great TA Zoom session explaining more details of Zemax. This will be a great help for those of you who are not familiar with Zemax. The video is now available in the D2L Panopto. Thank you, Hayden! :)

    • There was a question in the "Hayden's Zemax Session" video (at 18:50) asking the changing size of the image plane as the prism rotates. The answer is that Zemax automatically adjusts the image plane size in order to show all the traced rays with some margin. If you increase the number of rays in the 3D viewer, you will see the reason more clearly. (Friendly Zemax Tip: If you want, you can "set" the size of the image plane. This is the same as what Hayden did for the lens size adjustment in the video.)

  • If you have not started HW-1 yet, I highly recommend you begin now. There is a reason why sufficient time is given for homework. As you follow the homework instruction step by step, you will naturally learn how to model a system using Zemax. Also, you will develop a "realistic" sense of understanding the "sensitivity" analysis, which is the key concept of the opto-mechanical design. It is all about modeling NON-IDEAL (i.e., realistic) system. Also, never forget that Hayden and I will be happy to help you using TA's office hours or through emails. Please, feel free to email me or communicate with us. Happy day!

  • There will be a Solidworks demonstration session on Wednesday, 9/23 during the normal class time (9:30 am MST). Hayden will be demonstrating the basics of Solidworks and how you can use these basics to model optical systems. Please join the TA OFFICE HOURS ZOOM link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84055354872?pwd=T0xuMlhhV2o5d1VJREJrQkFYMUxsUT09 with the standard class password, not the Class zoom link. This will allow the TA to record the meeting for those who miss the session.

  • The HW-1 is all about how you define the "pivot" point in Zemax. This can be somewhat confusing unless you used Zemax and Coordinate Break in the past. Please, check my previous example Zeamx file (that I used in my class to show the rotation of the system about Nodal Point) line by line. It will show how the rotation point was set.

    • As you may noticed, the homework is specifically designed in a way that you create the Zmeax line by line, so you can learn how to use and understand the powerful optical raytracing tool. If you simply copy-and-paste the given file, you will not understand the Coordinate Break. Also, I highly recommend that you contact TA, set a time to ask help, and get some practical help. I have received many emails over the weekend. Please, begin your homework as early as possible and do no wait to the last minute. I will not assign many homeworks this semester. Instead, each homework will require your efforts and time to try, desgin, enjoy, and learn. Thank you!

  • [IMPORTANT] We have decided to extend the homework due date until 9/25 at 9:30am. This will allow you extra time to solidify the lessons of the homework and to finish up any last minute details. If you have already finished the homework, any homework submitted by 9/23 at 9:30am will receive a 10% bonus to the final score. Hayden and I fully understand the unexpected difficulties associated with studying and learning online during the COVID-19 situation and will do our best to help and support all of your needs. As I mentioned before, the goal of homework is not just "grading" you, but really letting you "try, lean, and grow". In the meantime, we will make sure our actions and accomodations are still fair (e.g., extra bonus points) for all students. Thank you and have a happy day.

  • I have been meeting with many of you through 1-on-1 Zoom sessions and it is my great pleaure to hear your voice, questions, suggestions, and inquiries. I am so sorry that we couldn't meet in class in person, but we will go "through" the COVID-19 challenges together! Please, remember that I (and Hayden) are always available to meet and chat with you. We are simply an "email" away. :)

  • There is a wide range of students in the class. Some of you are facing difficulties and challenges using Zemax and learning a lot. In the meantime, some of you are already familiar with Zemax. I will try to accommodate all students as much as possible. Hayden and I will "not" grade in a harsh manner using a "fixed" solution. As long as you show your work clearly and nicely in a well organized manner, and did your best, we will say you did a great job on the homework. Please, do not worry about getting the exact answers. Instead, please, try to understand and learn the process. Have a happy day!

    • The SolidWorks 101 session has been a great success and Hayden and I loved to meet you all and communicate live! For those of you who couldn't make the live Zoom session, it has been recorded and uploaded to the D2L. Enjoy! And, happy Friday and weekend~! :)

  • HW-2 is assigned today (9/27). Please, find the link under the "Course Materials" section. Please, email your homework electronically to TA by 9:30 AM (Tucson time) on 10/16. Unlike the previous year (and what you will hear in the pre-recorded lecture video), I am providing about 3 weeks for this homework as I know COVID-19 and DL situation is limiting you in various challenging ways. If you have any questions regarding the HW, please, conatc TA. Thank you.

  • Solidworks is required for homework 2. This program can be difficult to install, so please install it as soon as possible so that you can complete the assignment on time. If you have problems please contact the TA. Unlike HW-1, we are not going to provide extra extension on HW-2 submission in order to apply a fair baseline for everyone. Thank you.

  • There have been issues with people connecting to the UA network license for Solidworks, and it seems to be a university issue, rather than an individual issue. While this is being resolved, you can use VCAT.arizona.edu to log on to a campus computer which has Solidworks on it. This will allow you to continue work on homework 2.

  • I had a good Q&A chat with one of the class students and it is worth to share here. Q: "Prof. Daewook mentioned in one of his classes that large mirrors receive huge air drifts and FEA analysis is performed to ensure that they act as a rigid body. This adds to the weight of the mirror as well. I would like to know how these large mirrors are mounted. Do they have 3 points fixed constraints? Also, how can one reduce the weight of the mirrors?" A: "There are many solutions and approaches. Large mirrors (e.g., >1 m) often use a many-point (e.g., 10s to more than 100) supporting mounts. They are often controlled via pneumatic or hydraulic actuators. Actually, I will discuss these topics in the upcoming classes. Please, stay tuned. Finally, the mirror is light-weighted (e.g., honeycomb structure) so they are mechanically very rigid, but more than 80-90% light weighted."

  • I am planning an invited talk by an Optical Scientist working at the Synopsys (CodeV) company. This will be a great lecture. Please, stay tuned! :)

  • This week (10/14), we are going to learn the concept of force and moments! They are created by the applied and reaction forces/moment (by the constraints). Once you solve them for a static case (no motion in 6 DoF Degrees of Freedom) you are ready to calculate any "deformation", which is often the very important topic in opto-mechanics as we care the deformation of optics or mounts! This is the basic and beautiful idea behind FEA (Finite Element Analysis). Isn't this cool? Enjoy! :-)

  • I (Dae Wook) am enjoying many 1-on-1 live sessions with many of you in order to discuss various topics and questions. Wow! Please, email me whenever you have any questions or want to chat with me. It is my pleasure to interact with students in the class. :-)

  • Hayden is doing a great job in handling the homework questions. While Hayden and I are often discussing the homework related questions, all the official answers are made through Hayden (sing channel of communication) so all students receive a coherent and fair help regarding the homework questions.

  • Hayden and I know many of you are going through various challenges and we are sorry that we are so limited in terms of meeting in person and sharing the exciting lessons and topics in the classroom live. However, please, know that we care about all of you. If you have any difficulties or issues, please, let us know right away. We will find a way to help and support you.

  • Regarding our midterm exam, due to the COVID-19, I am considering a take-home exam (in a few weeks) with sufficient time. Since our final exam is a project-type, our midterm is scheduled toward the later part of the semester compared to other courses. Also, I understand that many of you have different schedules restrictions and challenge these days. I will allow 1-week period so there will be no difficulty to manage your time and other commitments. Thank you.

  • The lecture for 10/28 is canceled (no lecture No. 19) for the Optical Sciences' Industrial Affiliates event (https://wp.optics.arizona.edu/industrialaffiliates). Thank you and enjoy a day-break from the class! :)

  • [IMPORTANT] Exciting NEWS! Michael Humphreys (working at Zemax) will give a "live" lecture and demo during the class hours (9:30 - 10:45 am) on 10/30. Please, join the live Zoom sessions so you can interact with all of us and with Michael. https://arizona.zoom.us/j/92185305769 (Also, this is to overcome the poor quality of the pre-recorded video making it hard to read the Zemax screen.)

  • The Invited Lecture by Michael Humphreys was great. The video will be available in D2L shortly. Also, the Chat discussing various questions during the session is also available here. It was so nice to meet so many of you live today. Stay healthy and happy! Thank you! :-)

    • I have received a thankful comment correcting some mistakes and unclear parts in problem (4) of Part I (HW-3). Please, read the following clarification. i) There is no problem (3) in part I. ii) The "lbs" is used as a weight and force unit as written in problem (2) "Use these values as force". Although this is very confusing and this is a strong reason why we want to SI Units, it is also true that this "confusing" unit is used in real-world by some people and I wanted to let students know this. Please, apply the "Use these values as force" to problem (3), also. iii) The orientation is given since the term "vertical" is being used. However, it is not important in this case since the problem is not asking to consider the self-weight. Thank you!

  • HW-3 is assigned today. (11/10) It is a short one but you will learn more practical skills. This will be the last homework of this semester, so please, enjoy it. Also, this will be covered in the mid-term, which is going to be a take-home exam. Please, turn in your homework to TA by 9:30 AM (Tucson time) on 11/18. Please send it to the TA as a single PDF file with the file name "Lastname_hw3". Thank you!

  • [EXCITING NEWS] We are now learning thermal deformation (due to CTE), which is another critical topic in optomechnical engineering (e.g., for space camera/telescope). So, we will have a cool invited lecture by Dr. Matt Novak from CODE V company showing you the analysis capability! Please, stay tuned for the special session notice soon! :)

  • Regarding the midterm exam, there was a question asking the estimated time to complete the exam. Here is my best estimate. "The exam will take at most about 1 day. If you are good at the topics it may take only ~1-2 hours. You will not need to use any software at all." I wish this helps you for preparing the exam or traveling during the exam period.

    • 11/11 is the holiday, so there will be no lecture video. So, there will be only 1 lecture this week. Have a restful and happy holiday!

  • We now begin to learn about meshing, deformation calculation, and natural frequency analysis using FEA tool. These are all basic but important topics in optomechanical engineering. Please, try home using the demo examples and enjoy the power of modern computing and numerical CPU capabilities! :)

  • The Midterm exam is now uploaded. Good luck!

  • We had a good live Zoom session with Matt Novak this morning (11/20). The recorded Zoom video is available on D2L. Unfortunately, there were some glitches during the video recording due to the unstable Zoom connection, so please understand some technical issues in the video. It is still great content by Matt with lots of good lessons. Thank you, Matt!

  • [Important] The take-home midterm exam will be from 11/20 - 11/24 (due 5 pm to Hayden in a single pdf file). I will post the exam on 11/20 after the class. It is an openbook. However, no discussion with others is allowed. As long as you understand the homeworks and class slides, it will be all straighforward.

    • Because the grading for homework 3 will not be done by the time the midterm starts on Friday, Hayden and I decided to send you the solutions to homework 3. This way you can look over the answers and clear up any misconceptions. Hayden sent out the solution today (11/18). If you have not received it, please, check your spam folder. If you still cannot find it, please, contact Hayden. Thank you~!

    • Dr. Novak's CODE V STOP analysis invited lecture video (D2L) and slide (link) is now uploaded. Please, watch the video before the live Q&A and discussion session at 9:30 am on 11/20. Thank you!

    • We will enjoy another exciting live session for the OPTI421/521 class with the invited guest Matt Novak from CODE V. The session will be at 9:30 am on 11/20. The Zoom link will be https://arizona.zoom.us/j/92185305769 I will give a short intro summarizing the class materials and put Matt's pre-recorded video lecture in context (by this point, students will have watched Matt's pre-recorded CODE V lecture video on D2L). Then, Matt will provide some live example CODE V demos. I will engage students and initiate the live Q&A session and free discussions. Please, mark your calendar and join the live session! Let's chat! :)

  • I wish you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday. The semester is now approaching its epic end! :) It is time to prepare the final project. Please, download SAGUARO and add the user modules available in the LectureSlide-28 link. If you have any questions, please, talk to Hayden, our friendly TA! :)