optical engineering

{{Short description|Field of engineering encompassing light}}

{{for|the academic journal|Optical Engineering (journal)}}

File:The optical system of the ELT showing the location of the mirrors (no annotation).jpg showing the location of the mirrors.{{Cite web|last=|title=ESO Awards ELT Sensor Contract to Teledyne e2v|url=https://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann17027/|access-date=2021-06-24|website=www.eso.org|language=en}}]]

Optical engineering is the field of engineering encompassing the physical phenomena and technologies associated with the generation, transmission, manipulation, detection, and utilization of light.{{Cite book|url=https://www.nap.edu/read/5954/chapter/3|title=Read "Harnessing Light: Optical Science and Engineering for the 21st Century" at NAP.edu|year=1998 |doi=10.17226/5954 |isbn=978-0-309-05991-6 |language=en}} Optical engineers use the science of optics to solve problems and to design and build devices that make light do something useful.{{Cite web|title=An Introduction to Optical Design {{!}} Synopsys|url=https://www.synopsys.com/optical-solutions/learn/gentle-intro-to-optical-design.html|access-date=2021-04-11|website=www.synopsys.com|language=en}} They design and operate optical equipment that uses the properties of light using physics and chemistry,Walker, Bruce H (1998). Optical Engineering Fundamentals. SPIE Press. p. 16. {{ISBN|978-0-8194-2764-9}}. such as lenses, microscopes, telescopes, lasers, sensors, fiber-optic communication systems and optical disc systems (e.g. CD, DVD).

Optical engineering metrology uses optical methods to measure either micro-vibrations with instruments like the laser speckle interferometer, or properties of masses with instruments that measure refraction.Walker, Bruce H (1998). Optical Engineering Fundamentals, SPIE Press. p. 16. {{ISBN|978-0-8194-2764-9}}

Nano-measuring and nano-positioning machines are devices designed by optical engineers. These machines, for example microphotolithographic steppers, have nanometer precision, and consequently are used in the fabrication of goods at this scale.Manske E. (2019) Nanopositioning and Nanomeasuring Machines. In: Gao W. (eds) Metrology. Precision Manufacturing. Springer, Singapore. {{doi|10.1007/978-981-10-4938-5_2}}