Optomechanical Systems Engineering
This course emphasizes a systems-level overview of optomechanical engineering. Starting with the fundamentals of imaging, it reviews how optical system concepts flow down into optomechanical
requirements on optical fabrication, alignment, structural design, mechanics of materials (metals, composites, and glasses), structural vibrations, thermal management, and kinematic mounts. The focus
is on the fundamental principles underlying real-world design problems, as well as the commercial off the-shelf (COTS) components used to solve them.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course will enable the student to:
• Utilize the basic concepts and terminology of optical engineering required for the development of optomechanical components

•  Compare conventional and ISO-10110 drawings used for the fabrication of lenses

• Develop a preliminary alignment plan with an emphasis on critical tolerances, alignment mechanisms, and “go-no go” decisions for adjusting tilt, decenter, despace, and defocus

• Quantify the ability of a structural design to maintain alignment using efficient architectures and lightweight materials; compare low-strain lens and mirror mounts for reducing wavefront error
(WFE)

• Utilize the results of STOP (structural-thermal-optical) analysis for the deflection and distortion of optical components under static loads; estimate the impact of stress concentrations and
contact stresses; select optical materials with appropriate structural properties

• Estimate the effects of vibration environments on the alignment of optomechanical systems; select COTS components for vibration isolation

• Predict the effects of conductive, convective, and radiative thermal environments on the performance of optical systems; select materials and off-the-shelf hardware to manage the
effects of heat loads and temperature changes

• Compare kinematic and semi-kinematic mounts and the limitations of COTS hardware

INTENDED AUDIENCE
Intended for engineers (systems, optical, mechanical), scientists, technicians, and managers who are developing, specifying, or purchasing optical, electro-optical, infrared, or laser systems.

INSTRUCTOR
Keith J. Kasunic has more than 35 years of experience developing optical, electro-optical, infrared, and laser systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the University of Arizona, an MS in Mechanical
Engineering from Stanford University, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He has worked for or been a consultant to a number of organizations, including Lockheed Martin, Ball Aerospace, Sandia
National Labs, and Nortel Networks; he is currently the Technical Director of Optical Systems Group, LLC. He is also an Adjunct Professor and Instructor at Univ. of North Carolina – Charlotte (UNCC), as well as
an Affiliate Instructor with Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and an Instructor for the Optical Engineering Certificate Program at Univ. of California – Irvine (UCI). This course is based on his textbook
Optomechanical Systems Engineering, published by John Wiley in 2015.