The Ray and Wave Theory of Lenses

This book gives a detailed description of lens behaviour in real optical systems.

A. Walther (Author)

9780521451444, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 February 1995

416 pages, 77 b/w illus. 20 tables 58 exercises
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.7 cm, 0.78 kg

'[The book] is set forth in a clear, elegant, logical style that leads us from first principles to many profound conclusions.' Optics and Photonics News

Calculations on lens systems are often marred by the unjustifiable use of the small-angle approximation. This book describes in detail how the ray and wave pictures of lens behaviour can be combined and developed into a theory capable of dealing with the large angles encountered in real optical systems. A distinct advantage of this approach is that Fourier optics appears naturally, in a form valid for arbitrarily large angles. The book begins with extensive reviews of geometrical optiks, eikonal functions and the theory of wave propagation. The propagation of waves through lenses is then treated by exploiting the close connection between eikonal function theory and the stationary phase approximation. Aberrations are then discussed, and the book concludes with various applications in lens design and analysis, including chapters on laser beam propagation and diffractive optical elements. Throughout, special emphasis is placed on the intrinsic limitations of lens performance. The many practical insights it contains, as well as the exercises with their solutions, will be of interest to graduate students as well as to anyone working in optical design and engineering.

Preface
Part I. Preview: 1. Some consequences of the wave equation
Part II. Geometrical Optics: 2. Fermat's principle
3. Path differentials
4. The structure of image forming pencils
5. Eikonal transformations
6. Perfect images
7. Aberrations
8. Radiometry
Part III. Paraxial Optics: 9. The small angle approximation
10. Paraxial calculations
11. Stops and pupils
12. Chromatic aberrations
Part IV. Waves in Homogeneous Media: 13. Waves
14. Wave propagation I: exact results
15. Wave propagation II: approximations
16. The stationary phase approximation
Part V. Wave Propagation Through Lenses: 17. Toward a wave theory of lenses
18. General propagation kernels
19. Paraxial wave propagation
20. The wave theory of image formation
21. Fourier optics
Part VI. Aberrations: 22. Perfect systems
23. The vicinity of an arbitrary ray
24. Third order aberrations
25. The small field approximation
26. Ray tracing
27. Aberrations and the wave theory
Part VII. Applications: 28. Gaussian beams
29. Concentric systems
30. Thin lenses
31. Mock ray tracing
32. Diffractive optical elements
Appendices
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Optical physics [PHJ]