Learn by Building
Practical, scenario-based guides that bridge the gap between API documentation and real optical engineering. Each recipe is self-contained and runnable in a fresh Python environment.
Your First Optiland Designs
Go from installation to a traced, analysed optical system with no prior experience.
Singlet Lens
Build and trace a simple singlet lens in Optiland while learning the core syntax for optical system definition.
Determining Lens Properties
Retrieve EFL, F/#, pupil positions, cardinal points, and paraxial ray data from an optical system.
Saving and Loading Files
Persist Optiland systems as human-readable JSON and restore them later.
Material Database
Access thousands of glasses from Schott, Ohara, and other major vendors.
Non-Rotationally Symmetric Systems
Build systems with de-centered, tilted, and non-spherical components.
Differentiable Ray Tracing
Learn how Optiland's engine uses PyTorch to compute gradients through any system.
Intermediate Ray Tracing Techniques
Master system layout, tilts, de-centers, and advanced Monte Carlo methods.
Tracing and Analyzing Rays
Move beyond paraxial optics to real, non-linear ray tracing.
Tilting & De-centering Components
Complex ray tracing through misaligned or deliberately folded optics.
Monte Carlo Raytracing Methods
Stochastic methods for stray light and complex geometry analysis.
Raytracing Aspheres
Model components with non-spherical profiles for high-performance optics.
Wavefront & Aberration Performance
Characterize image quality using Seidel coefficients, ray-fan plots, and physical optics (OPD, PSF, MTF).
Common Aberration Analyses
Bridge the gap between ray patterns and classical aberration theory.
1st & 3rd Order Aberrations
Decompose performance into classical Seidel coefficients (S1 to S5).
Chromatic Aberrations
Analyze longitudinal and lateral color effects across the visible spectrum.
OPD Calculations
Understand the phase of the light as it propagates through your lens.
PSF and MTF Calculation
Convert wavefront data into Point Spread Functions and MTF curves.
Zernike Decomposition
Decompose complex wavefronts into orthogonal polynomial modes.
Gradient-Based Lens Optimization
Drive merit functions to their minimum using Optiland's PyTorch-powered optimization pipeline.
Simple Optimization
Automatically refine lens parameters to minimize aberrations.
Advanced Optimization
Use global search and multi-configuration solvers for complex designs.
Optimization Case Study
Follow the end-to-end design of a real-world imaging system.
Custom Optimization Operands
Write your own Python functions to guide the optimizer.
Advanced Engine Features
Explore coatings, polarization, scattering, and freeform surfaces.
Introduction to Coatings
Model thin-film layers that control reflection and transmission.
Introduction to Polarization
Track the vector state of light as it interacts with birefringent elements.
Multilayer Stack
Design and analyze complex dielectric thin-film stacks.
Dichroic Mirror Optimization for Polarization Separation
Automate layer thickness design to meet spectral performance targets.
Color Analysis for Thin-Films
Perceive the visual appearance of coatings using colorimetry tools.
Anti-Reflective Coating
Design broadband AR coatings to eliminate ghost reflections.
Needle Synthesis for Thin Film Design
Discover optimal thin-film stack configurations using the needle synthesis algorithm.
Real-World System Design
Complex architectures like TMA mirrors and lithography objectives.
Lithographic Projection System
Design a complex high-NA system where polarization and coatings are mission-critical.
Surface Roughness & Scattering
Model stray light and haze caused by micro-scale surface imperfections.
Freeform Surfaces
Break symmetry with high-order polynomial surfaces for complex beam shaping.
Three-Mirror Anastigmat
Implement a classic all-reflective freeform telescope design.
Glass Expert
Let the optimizer automatically select the best glass types from commercial catalogs.
Multi-Configuration Zoom Lens
Learn how to handle lenses that change their state and geometry.
Yield & Sensitivity Analysis
Predict manufacturing yield using Monte Carlo and sensitivity tolerancing.
Thin Film Tolerance Analysis
Perform sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the manufacturability of thin film designs.
Tolerancing, Sensitivity Analyses
Analyze how small manufacturing errors impact the performance of your design.
Tolerancing, Monte Carlo
Simulate thousands of random builds to predict manufacturing yield.
Vendor Catalogue Integration
Pull off-the-shelf components from Edmund Optics and Thorlabs catalogues.
Custom Optiland Development
Add entirely new surface types and optimization algorithms by extending base classes.
Custom Surface Types
Learn how to define your own mathematical surface shapes in Python.
Custom Coating Types
Define surface coatings that dynamically modify intensity or polarization.
Custom Optimization Algorithms
Implement your own search strategy, from random walks to custom heuristics.
41 tutorials