Tolerancing Considerations for Infrared Optics

The tolerancing of optical components is a very important communication step between the optical designer, the optical fabricator, and the end user of the optics. Tolerances are a balance between as-built performance and cost. Under-tolerancing can cause the final system to miss its performance requirements, while over-tolerancing adds unnecessary complexity and cost.

The materials used in infrared applications come with unique concerns that designers and fabricators, primarily familiar with visible optics, need to consider. The same basic tolerancing applied to visible optics cannot simply be carried over as is when designing for IR applications. DeGroote Nelson covers critical tolerances for optical components with specific considerations for IR materials and applications.

About the presenter
Jessica DeGroote Nelson, Ph.D., is the senior director of strategic optical innovations at Edmund Optics (EO). At EO, she is responsible for corporate strategy related to optical components and associated coating technologies. Prior to joining EO, DeGroote Nelson was the director of technology and strategy at Optimax from 2007 to 2022. She graduated from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester with a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degree in Optics. She furthered her education with an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester in 2013. DeGroote Nelson is active in the technical community as a fellow member of SPIE, a senior member of Optica (formerly OSA), and a member of the Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council (OEOSC).