The use of plastic optics instead of glass offers a number of advantages. Most importantly, it is far less expensive, and therefore opens a huge potential for mass production. It also offers the opportunity to use unique element configuration. This book gives a coherent overview over the current status of injection molded optics describing in detail all aspects of plastic optics, from design issues to production technology and quality control. The focus is firmly set on practical applications, making this an indispensable information source for all those working in optics research and development. The contributors, each one a leading expert in his chosen discipline, possess either a background in industry or close relations to the industry, thus bringing in an ample amount of practical experience.

A coherent overview of the current status of injection molded optics, describing in detail all aspects of plastic optics, from design issues to production technology and quality control. This updated second edition is supplemented by a chapter on the equipment and process of injection wells as well as a look at recent applications. The contributors, each one a leading expert in their discipline, have either a background in or strong ties to the industry, thus combining a large amount of practical experience. With its focus firmly set on practical applications, this is an indispensable reference for all those working in optics research and development.

While several available texts discuss molded plastic optics, none provide information on all classes of molded optics. Filling this gap, Molded Optics: Design and Manufacture presents detailed descriptions of molded plastic, glass, and infrared optics. Since an understanding of the manufacturing process is necessary to develop cost-effective, produ

"Molding processes continue to innovate and push the boundaries of optical systems, not only for state-of-the-art, high-volume consumer products but also touching on almost every application where optics are used, from automotive headlights and medical endoscopes to thermal weapon sights for the warfighter. The most common optical molding technologies are injection molding of optical plastics and precision glass molding. This Field Guide primarily focuses on these two technologies but also covers the full spectrum of optical molding. It provides a convenient and concise source of knowledge on optical molding technologies and will be a valuable addition to a publication base that is rather limited"--

Entirely updated to cover the latest technology, this Second Edition gives optical designers and optomechanical engineers a thorough understanding of the principal ways in which optical components - lenses, windows, filters, shells, domes, prisms, and mirrors of all sizes - are mounted in optical instruments.Along with new information on tolerancing, sealing considerations, elastomeric mountings, alignment, stress estimation, and temperature control, two new chapters address the mounting of metallic mirrors and the alignment of reflective and catadioptric systems.The updated accompanying CD-ROM offers a convenient spreadsheet of the many equations that are helpful in solving problems encountered when mounting optics in instruments.

Many items we use in our daily lives--the traffic signals, motion sensors, fingerprint readers, cell phone cameras, bar code scanners, and DVD players--rely upon plastic optical systems to perform. Consequently, there is a growing need for individuals who are knowledgeable in the design, development, and production of such systems. This book provides an overview of the design of plastic optical systems and is structured along the lines of a typical development project. Following a brief background discussion, the advantages and disadvantages of plastic optics are considered. Next, the available materials and their properties are described, as well as the issues of material selection and specification. Various manufacturing methods are reviewed, followed by a chapter on design guidelines, leading into several design examples. Following the examples, the prototyping and testing of a design is covered. Finally, bringing the design to production is discussed. Several groups will benefit from the material presented, including optical engineers, technical managers, and engineers of other disciplines who need to design and develop plastic optical systems but lack the knowledge or training to do so. With the help of this book, readers should understand the benefits and limitations of plastic optical systems and be able to determine if this technology is appropriate for their applications. They will have the basic knowledge to undertake the design of these systems, should they choose to do so themselves, or they will be able to have the appropriate conversations with the individuals or companies they ask to perform the work.

As we reach the data transmission limits of copper wire and communications experts seek to bring the speed of long-haul fiber optics networks closer to access points, optical interconnects promise to provide efficient, high-speed data transmission for the next generation of networks and systems. They offer higher bit-rates, virtually no crosstalk, lower demands on power requirements and thermal management, and the possibility of two-dimensional channel arrays for chip-to-chip communication. The Handbook of Optical Interconnects introduces the systems and devices that will bring the speed and quality of optical transmission closer to the circuit board. Contributed by active experts, most from leading technology companies in the US and Japan, this outstanding handbook details various low-cost and small-size configurations, illustrates the discussion with more than 300 figures, and offers a look at the applications and future of this exciting and rapidly growing field. The book includes a detailed introduction to vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs); the use of optical interconnects in metropolitan, local-area, and access networks through FTTP (FTTH); and Jisso technologies, which are critical for developing low-cost, small-size modules. Driving down the size and cost of optical interconnects is vital for integrating these technologies into the network and onto microprocessors, and the Handbook of Optical Interconnects provides the knowledge and tools necessary to accomplish these goals.