When presented with a new design request it is not unusual for an optical designer to start from an existing design that was chosen based on its underlying design form and then scaled to meet system requirements (e.g. focal length). However, the design of a new zoom lens is complex and typically requires a designer to “start from scratch”. As a result, considerable emphasis must be placed on the first-order configuration of the starting point design especially since constraints on packaging parameters (e.g. length, diameter, working distance) can change the first-order solution space significantly. This talk will take a historical look at the student-led development of Excel, Matlab, and Python zoom lens tools for automating the Monte Carlo first-order search, visualizing the zoom motion, and quickly evaluating the performance of a complex zoom lens.

Julie Bentley received her BS degree in optics from the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester in 1990. She also received her PhD from the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester. Her PhD thesis focused on the integration of the design and manufacture of gradient-index optical systems. After graduating she spent two years at Hughes Aircraft Co. in California designing optical systems for the defense industry and twelve years at Corning Tropel Corporation in Fairport, New York, designing and manufacturing precision optical assemblies such as micro lithographic inspection systems. She started teaching at the University of Rochester in 1998. Her main teaching interests include geometrical optics, optical design, and tolerancing.