Novel formulas have been derived for the primary spherical aberration, coma and axial color of systems of thin lenses in contact. Even in complex optical systems, groups of lenses can be modelled as thin lenses in contact. The new mathematical formalism helps explaining significant qualitative properties of the lens design landscape.

Graduate optics education requires a balance between theoretical rigor and practical application to equip students with the skills demanded by an evolving industry. This paper explores the integration of simulation-driven learning into optics curricula, emphasizing its role in bridging theoretical concepts and real-world applications. A case study from Delft University of Technology highlights the use of Ansys Zemax OpticStudio® in Dr. Florian Bociort's "Geometrical Optics"course. The study shows how interactive tutorials, such as a Cooke triplet lens design, enhance understanding of optical aberrations, lens optimization, and system performance. Additionally, this paper outlines the resources provided by the Ansys Academic Program, including software access, curated tutorials, and faculty development initiatives, which empower educators and students. By integrating advanced simulation tools, this approach not only fosters technical proficiency but also prepares students for the challenges of modern optical engineering.

For advanced imaging systems, e.g., projection systems for optical lithography, spatially varying aberration calibration is of utmost importance to achieve uniform imaging performance over the entire field-of-view (FOV). Here we present an efficient, accurate, and robust spatially varying aberration calibration method using a pair of 2-dimensional periodic pinhole array masks: the first mask in the object plane and the second mask in the image plane. Our method divides the entire FOV of the imaging system into partially overlapping subregions by using a measurement system consisting of an additional imaging system and a camera sensor. Each subregion, which covers several mask periods, is imaged onto a distinct camera pixel by the measurement system. Our method measures “Airy disc”-like patterns simultaneously in all subregions by scanning the second mask relative to the first mask over one mask p eriod. The number of subregions is equal to the number of camera pixels, and the sampling number of the measured patterns is equal to the scanning step number. The aberrations can be retrieved from the patterns measured in through-focus planes using an iterative optimization algorithm. In this paper, we performed experimental validation on a realistic lithography machine and demonstrate that our method is capable of retrieving the coefficients of 37 aberration terms, expressed as Zernike polynomials, with a sensitivity at nanometer scale.

The electric field at the output of an optical system is in general affected by both aberrations and diffraction. Many simulation techniques treat the two phenomena separately, using a geometrical propagator to calculate the effects of aberrations and a wave-optical propagator to simulate the effects of diffraction. We present a ray-based simulation method that accounts for the effects of both aberrations and diffraction within a single framework. The method is based on the Huygens–Fresnel principle, is entirely performed using Monte Carlo ray tracing, and, in contrast to our previously published work, is able to calculate the full electromagnetic field. The method can simulate the effects of multiple diffraction in systems with a high numerical aperture.

We study a simulation method that uses the Wigner distribution function to incorporate wave optical effects in an established framework based on geometrical optics, i.e., a ray tracing engine. We use the method to calculate point spread functions and show that it is accurate for paraxial systems but produces unphysical results in the presence of aberrations. The cause of these anomalies is explained using an analytical model.

Traditional imaging design methods can often be ineffective when designing aspheric systems because of the large number of optimization parameters and lack of a good starting point. They are often trapped in a poor local minimum and it can be highly time-consuming to find a good solution in a bumpy design landscape. The simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) method can significantly shorten the time and effort needed to find a desired solution by providing a starting point to optimize close to a good local minimum. We investigate here two design examples and compare them with similar designs obtained via traditional design approaches, as well as global optimization. In the examples considered here, the SMS method combined with a shorter optimization leads to an optimal design.

We discuss the potential and limits of a recently discovered technique to decompose the search for new local minima in simpler steps and analyze deeper reasons why multiple minima exist in the lens design landscape.

The increased usage of liquid lenses motivates us to investigate surface waves on the liquid's surface. During fast focal switching, the surface waves decrease the imaging quality. We propose a model that describes the surface modes appearing on a liquid lens and predicts the resonance frequencies. The effects of those surface modes on a laser beam are simulated using Fresnel propagation, and the model is verified experimentally.

A special structure is present in the lens design landscape that makes it different from a general global optimization problem: many local minimums are closely related to minimums of simpler problems and can therefore be found by decomposing the search for them in simple steps. We show here that in the design landscape of a wide-angle pinhole lens and in closely related optimization landscapes, all good local minimums found by other methods can be obtained easily with a succession of one-dimensional searches starting from simpler systems. By replacing high-dimensional searches with a succession of one-dimensional searches, the design efficiency can be increased significantly. By combining this method with conventional design methods, the wide-angle pinhole lens can be designed starting from a single lens.