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This tutorial text is intended to provide practitioners in the fields of optical engineering and optomechanical design with a comprehensive understanding of several different ways in which lenses typically are mounted in optical instruments, the advantages and disadvantages of these various mounting arrangements, and the analytical tools that can be used to evaluate and compare different designs. Each section contains an illustrated discussion of the technology involved and, wherever feasible, one of more practical examples. The material is presented with a minimum of highly technical terminology so as to be easily readable by those with minimal engineering or scientific backgrounds.
The text is based, in part, on short courses on Optical Component Mounting Techniques offered by SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, that I have had the privilege of teaching over a period of years. The designs discussed here are drawn from the literature, my own experiences in optical instrument design and development, and the works of colleagues. I acknowledge the contributions of others with my deepest thanks and sincerely hope that I have accurately recorded and explained the information given to me. I further acknowledge and thank those who reviewed this book in its preliminary form and offered valuable suggestions for improvements; Donald O'Shea and Also Hatheway, in particular, deserve special thanks.
The internal stress theories discussed in Chapters 5 through 7 have not yet fully matured, so the results of their application can only be considered as approximations. These theories need further investigation and refinement based on more precise computational methods. I invite others to add to the optomechanical community's understandings of these theories as they see fit. Comments, corrections, and suggestions for improvements to any portion of this book are welcome.
I wish for the readers of this book a deepening understanding and success in the application of the concepts, designs, and analytical techniques presented here.
Paul R. Yoder, Jr.
Norwalk, Connecticut
August 1995
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