Optical engineering is the field of engineering encompassing the physical phenomena and technologies associated with the generation, transmission, manipulation, detection, and utilization of light.[2] Optical engineers use the science of optics to solve problems and to design and build devices that make light do something useful.[3] They design and operate optical equipment that uses the properties of light using physics and chemistry,[4] 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.[5]
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.[6]
[1] Walker, Bruce H (1998). Optical Engineering Fundamentals. SPIE Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-8194-2764-9.
[2] Walker, Bruce H (1998). Optical Engineering Fundamentals, SPIE Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8194-2764-9.
[3] 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.
[4] "ESO Awards ELT Sensor Contract to Teledyne e2V". www.eso.org. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
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