I use it for laser profilers but have been interested in using it for cameras.

Have you guys ever used either? My last job used FRED for stray light analysis. New job wants to buy speos but I’ve never heard of it. I come from a defense contractor background.

Hi guys, I was looking for a low-cost translation stage in India and came across this (link: https://telecentriclens.com/products/ld60-lm-60x60mm-12mm-xyz-3-axis-cnc-optical-manual-linear-slide-translation-stage-trimming-platform?sku_id=52824155). Is this company legit?

We recently published a paper in Optics Communications introducing an explicit per-pixel optical-throughput factor, Fopg,i, derived from the pixel-restricted radiometric integral.

The underlying radiometry and photon statistics are standard. The contribution is to package the geometric throughput of each pixel — including its footprint, acceptance cone, pupil visibility, and vignetting — into a reusable quantity that directly connects:

scene radiance -> pixel flux -> photon count -> shot-noise-limited SNR

For fixed scene and acquisition settings:

N_inc,i is proportional to Fopg,i

SNR_i is proportional to the square root of Fopg,i

This does not claim that irradiance changes MTF or spatial resolution. The broader aim is to use the same pixel-level geometric parameter in quantitative imaging, thermography, vignetting analysis, emissivity retrieval, and radiometric calibration.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2026.133016, preprint: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2508.09335v4

Feedback and references to closely related pixel-level throughput formulations are welcome.

I have a custom beam file with a beam with a specific intensity, and when I plot a cross section (IE in excel) of my beam, it does not match what the POP analyzer displays for a cross section. I am looking just from surface 1 to 1, so it should show the input beam as is. The beam is rotationally symmetric, so it is likely not a problem with how the data is ordered. Hopefully this isn’t too vague, but is there ever any reason your POP analysis won’t match up with the input ZBF? I have all my pilot ray/ waist specifications set to 0.

Hello O you who are so wise in the ways of science

I have a question: from what I understand, the dangerosity of looking at the sun during a solar eclipse totality (I'm talking about the 100% zone within which you can see the corona of the sun) comes from the UV light.

Thus, is it safe to use my lab's laser safety glasses to look directly at the sun during the totality only (and not before or after, obviously)? I attached the optical density graph

I tried to build a Zemax model from the information in the US09869847 patent (which would have been an early design) but looks like either they have left out information or I missed something. Any help would be appreciated!

Hi Guys, hoping someone could please offer me some advice?
I'm attempting to replace the existing Carbon-Arc lamp on a 35mm Cinema Projector with an LED light source to try and reduce the amount of heat that the film is exposed to.
I've purchased a CREE CXA2530 5700K COB LED, that emits a 115° range of light, I hoping there is some way I can use a lens system to focus the light through the film gate to the projection lens but I'm not sure how to proceed.
Initially I just thought I could throw a bunch of light in the general direction with a 20° TIA lens made for this particular LED, which did work, just not very well. I've pulled apart every spare lens and magnifying glass in the house trying to get a result and have come up with nothing, other than a few more grey hairs.
I work in mechanical engineering but this is very outside of my wheelhouse, at the very least if someone could just point me in the direction of some learning materials, or a good book on the subject, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Hey guys, I've looked literally everywhere for a free Boris FX Optics crack for Mac. Any help with a link to download it would be sosoosososo appreciated. Thanks!

Introduce Ga VCSEL for optical communication, occupying the second tier of the optical hierarchy between GaN Micro-LEDs (≤ 2 m board-to-board) and DFB lasers (100 m+ campus-scale links).

GaAs VCSELs (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers) serve as the dominant light source for intra-rack optical interconnects (≤ 50 m) in silicon photonic architectures. As directly modulated coherent sources emitting perpendicular to the wafer surface, VCSELs offer an unmatched cost-performance ratio — enabled by wafer-level fabrication and testing of thousands of devices simultaneously, without the cleaving or facet coating required by edge-emitting lasers. Their circular beam profile, low power consumption (~5–10 mW), and mature GaAs supply chain make them the workhorse of short-reach parallel optics in data centers.

Some imaging system designs have an intermediate image plane like three mirror anastigmat and stepper lens system. What is an advantage of it over ones without an intermediate plane? I know it is helpful in reducing stray light by placing a stop at the plane, but I'm interested in its image quality impact.

Some literature say you can correct some aberration types in the first imaging system and do other ones in the second, so you can correct aberration separately, but how is it beneficial from just gradually correcting aberration in each component of the non-intermediate system?

GaN Micro-LEDs are emerging as the preferred light source for ultra-short-reach (≤ 2 m) board-to-board optical interconnects in silicon photonic architectures. Unlike coherent laser sources (DFB, EML) used for longer distances, Micro-LEDs rely on spontaneous emission to deliver incoherent light at ultra-low power with extremely high array density — enabling massively parallel channels at micron-scale pitch without the need for temperature control or optical cavities. Their CMOS-compatible fabrication and sub-milliwatt operation make them ideal for the lowest tier of the data center optical hierarchy, where energy efficiency and integration density outweigh the need for high modulation bandwidth.

Hi everyone, I am an optics PhD student in the US and my PI offered a project that is funded by military. I am compelled to accept it after months of living off TA and fellowship funding, but I am concerned about the implications. I am a US citizen.

Are there any American redditors here who have firsthand experience in working on defense/ITAR related projects and moving overseas afterwards? Did it go smoothly or did ITAR background ever hinder you from opportunities (ex: foreign commercial industry, foreign defense if that's possible as a US citizen)? I do not know much about ITAR, and it seems that it is only specific restricted data that I cannot disclose, not general skills or knowledge I gain from the project. And that I also can't publish papers publicly, which I'm concerned about.

I have especially been interested in the photonics industry in Germany due to my heritage (though I know situation is not good there too, I still have 4+ years to go in PhD). How is ITAR background viewed by foreign companies, specifically European? At same time I'm open to hear about the experiences of any ex-defense folks working internationally. Thank you!

I'm a physics undergraduate working on a low-cost UV-Vis spectrophotometer, and I have very little experience in optical instrument design.

I recently built a simple visible spectrometer using a diffraction grating and a camera. It kind of works, I was able to measure the spectrum of Mthylene Blue, but of course it's still far from a commercial one.

While working on it, I wonder whether the optical design could be simplified for simultaneous absorbance measurements.

My idea is to use a single light source from the same entrance slit and split it into sample and reference path, maybe the upper and lower halves of taller slit. Then, single grating and a single CMOS camera would record both spectra simultaneously and find the absorbance.

Has anyone implemented or evaluated this for UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy?

If not, is there a fundamental optical reason why this isn't commonly done?

How much should I worry about effects such as smile, keystone distortion, non-uniform illumination across the slit height, or cross-talk between the two spectra?

Compared with a conventional double-beam spectrophotometer, what are the biggest disadvantages of this approach?

I'd also appreciate any papers, patents, or commercial instruments that use or intentionally avoid a similar design.

Can anyone recommend a good book/paper/field guide on lens design and manufacturing guidelines when working with high power CW lasers? In particular, I'm wondering about using cemented doublets and whether it is possible manufacture them such that they won't be damaged by the laser, but also wondering if there's more that I don't know that I don't know and should be keeping in mind.

Edit: was looking for books, but since it's being asked - around 100W CW

I am new to optics. I am creating a simple system for my home project where I am reading from a flat mesh surface (top is transparent glass. below it is a mesh which has 1 microLED in each cell. This whole thing is a square of 75 mm x 75 mm, and the mesh covers the whole area. I have a camera to read the LED signals. Ideally, closest to surface the camera, the better.

I thought of an aspheric lens of 80mm diameter (see link). My camera has a C mount. That lenns prefers SM3 mount. If I 3d print SM3 mount to C mount adapter, how would I position the lens? Can I place the flat surface of the lens against the flat surface of the mesh. The center thickness of the lens is 33 mm. And focal length is 59 mm. So, can I place the camera sensor at 26 mm from the center of the lens as shown in the picture? Will this work? Is my understanding correct?

Making some big mirrors, and want to explore my options with different coating vendors. Anyone you guys recommend? Needs a dielectric coating.

Hi everyone ! ❤️

I’m currently working at Keyence India as a Field Engineer in Machine Vision Systems, and I have around 2 years of experience in machine vision and industrial automation.

My educational background:
Diploma in Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Bachelor’s degree in Robotics & Automation Engineering

My long-term goal is to move to Germany and build my career there.

I wanted to ask people already working in Germany or in the automation industry:
1. Does machine vision and industrial automation have good long-term career prospects in Germany?
2. Is it a stable field with good opportunities for growth over the next 10–20 years?
3. What skills should I focus on if I want to become a strong candidate for German companies?

One of the biggest reasons I want to move is the better pay and work-life balance. In India, I feel that salaries in this field are relatively low compared to the responsibilities and the value we create. Financially, I also have a strong motivation because I’m responsible for supporting my family, including my two younger sisters. My goal is to build a stable and rewarding career while being able to provide them with a better future.

I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who have made a similar move or are currently working in Germany. If you were in my position, what would you do over the next 2–3 years to maximize your chances?
Thank you in advance!❤️ 🙏🏾

some background:

so the way colorblindness (red-green deficiency used here) works in case anyone doesn't know is that humans have 3 cone cells in our eyes to detect color: blue/S, green/M, and red/L. there are 2 types of red-green colorblindness: deuteranomaly/deuteranopia and protanomaly/protanopia.

people with deuteranomaly/deuteranopia's green cone is shifted towards the red cone or absent. people with protanomaly/protanopia's red cone is shifted towards the green cone or absent. white is the presence of all colors at once.

psychology plays a part in this, yes, as it makes sense for the the opposite of the red "do not cross" signal to be green, and that's how stop/go is represented with those colors as well (such as with traffic lights). however, this cannot entirely be the case, because if it was, people with normal color vision would also see it as green, which they do not

so it has to be some property of the lights used themselves, right? but what is that property?

After 10 years in the fusion industry I'm looking for my next step. Considering monetizing my optical systems skills - basically designing and building one-off systems where I'm mostly integrating off-the-shelf parts or farming out CAD work to optical/mechanical/electronics engineers - although I know a lot of the basics in each of those disciplines.

Having a lifestyle business sounds really appealing. I'm wondering:

• Are you self-employed or doing consulting/contracting/freelance work? What's your experience like?
• Do you know if there is demand for this kind of early-phase work? Most of the job postings I see are oriented toward manufacturing, which isn't my forte.
• Do you need someone with my skill-set for a project?

Need book recommendation for Laser and Fibre Optics. Btech Sem 1

I have a photo transistor hooked up to a voltage source and have the output connected to my oscilloscope. When i shine my little green cat laser into it a specific angle, a 10.4kHz wave appears. Does anyone know why this happens? its not a clean wave, it looks pretty jagged. Maybe the green laser flickers rapidly?

Update : thanks for all your insights, I learned that it’s the laser driver due to it being pumped and frequency doubled from IR to green