The Center for Freeform Optics
An Industry/University Cooperative Research Center

Research topics of immediate interest fall in either of two categories:

  1. Methods of describing freeform surfaces for manufacture and how they may be used in optical design.  Freeform surface descriptions include global descriptions (e.g. phi-polynomials, local descriptions (e.g. radial basis functions), and hybrid descriptions (e..g multi-scale surfaces).  In designing with freeform surfaces, nodal aberration theory provides key insight into the expected field dependence of each aberration.  The methods being developed support wave-based modeling of freeform systems and handle thin optics and challenging optical materials . Advanced freeform surfaces include textured or Kolmogorov surfaces, segmented arrays, hybrid surfaces, and dynamic freeforms.
  2. Methods for fabrication and testing of freeform optics in a range of materials.  Examples include characterization and elimination of mid-spatial frequency errors, advanced metrology for freeform surfaces, measurement and estimation of subsurface damage, and in situ characterization during manufacturing.

Current Projects

CeFO Publications

Related Publications