Liquid Crystal Polymers

4.0 credits

The mechanical design and analysis of optical components and systems will be studied. Topics will include kinematic mounting of optical elements, the analysis of adhesive bonds, and the influence of environmental effects such as gravity, temperature, and vibration on the performance of optical systems. Additional topics include analysis of adaptive optics, the design of lightweight mirrors, thermo-optic and stress-optic (stress birefringence) effects. Emphasis will be placed on integrated analysis which includes the data transfer between optical design codes and mechanical FEA codes. A term project is required for MSC 432.