Doing a research on aberrations in order to

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the topic of optical aberrations, specifically focusing on their definitions, conventions, and the derivation of related formulas. Participants are exploring resources for understanding third-order aberrations and their implications in optical design.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses confusion regarding the different conventions for aberrations used in various optics textbooks and questions if there is an established standard, mentioning the name Seidel.
  • Another participant notes that the term "third order" in Seidel aberrations refers to the polynomial expansion of sin(q) and lists the seven third-order aberrations.
  • A suggestion is made to refer to Rudolf Kingslake's "Lens Design Fundamentals" for detailed derivations of aberrations, although one participant finds it confusing and seeks additional resources.
  • A later reply mentions the use of Zernike polynomials in wavefront aberration analysis and discusses the challenges of mapping Zernike coefficients to Seidel aberrations.
  • One participant requests assistance in deriving the third-order spherical aberration formula for a thin lens with two refracting surfaces, indicating a need for technical help.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding and confusion regarding the definitions and derivations of aberrations. There is no consensus on a single resource or explanation that resolves these uncertainties.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention different conventions and definitions in textbooks, indicating potential limitations in understanding due to varying approaches to the topic. The discussion includes references to specific orders of aberrations and their mathematical representations, which may depend on the context of their application.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students and researchers in optics, particularly those seeking to understand aberrations in optical systems and looking for resources to aid in their studies or presentations.

Septim
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Hello everyone,

I am doing a research on aberrations in order to prepare a presentation. I looked at Optics, Hecht and Introduction to Optics, Pedrotti; however, I think they use different conventions for aberrations. Is there an established standard for aberrations(I heard the name Seidel)? I also wonder what the third order aberration means; is it sine expanded to include angle cubed or the aberrations are written up to 3rd order of the aperture diameter for example. I am pretty confused about this topic and in need of a good resource which will guide me and possibly derive some of the aberration formulas explaining each one in detail. Any suggestion is appreciated.

Thanks
 
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It is very complex topic. There is so many good books like for example Rudolf Kingslake Lens Design Fundamentals - in that book you will find detail derivation of all kinds of aberrations.
 


Thanks for your reply; I looked at that book but found it kind of confusing. If you have any other suggestions I would appreciate it.
 


Septim said:
Hello everyone,

I am doing a research on aberrations in order to prepare a presentation. I looked at Optics, Hecht and Introduction to Optics, Pedrotti; however, I think they use different conventions for aberrations. Is there an established standard for aberrations(I heard the name Seidel)? I also wonder what the third order aberration means; is it sine expanded to include angle cubed or the aberrations are written up to 3rd order of the aperture diameter for example. I am pretty confused about this topic and in need of a good resource which will guide me and possibly derive some of the aberration formulas explaining each one in detail. Any suggestion is appreciated.

Thanks

The Seidel aberrations are referred to as 'third order' because the expansion sin(q) = q + q^3/3! + q^5/5!+... has a third-order polynomial after the paraxial sin(q) ~ q approximation. There are 7 third order aberrations (piston, tilt, spherical, coma, petvzal, distortion, astigmatism), a bunch of 5th order, 7th order, etc.

Alternatively, the wavefront aberration is written in terms of Zernike polynomials- mapping a Zernike coefficient with a Seidel aberration is not possible, but there are ways to convert one to the other.

A good resource (free, etc.) is the MIL-HDBK 141 (Optical Design)

http://www.optics.arizona.edu/ot/opti502/MIL_HDBK_141.html

3rd order aberrations are in Chapter 8.
 
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Thanks you I will take a look at that.
 


I need to derive the third order spherical aberration formula for a thin lens which consists of two refracting surfaces how can I do so? I am attaching an image file containing the formula at the bottom of the page. Thanks for your help.

 

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