The following is a glossary of terms common to the field of lens and optical system design. An optical practitioner who is new to this field might well profit from a thorough perusal of this list, since the jargon of optical engineering may differ from that of physics or even that of basic optics. These definitions actually go a long way toward establishing a basic understanding of the art. Note that the meanings of some terms are determined by the context of their use.

A

Abbe V-number

The reciprocal relative dispersion of an optical material. For visual work V = ( n _d - 1)/ ( n _F - n _c), where d, F, and C indicate the Fraunhofer wavelengths: 0.5876, 0.4861, and 0.6563 ?m, respectively. Often called V-value or v-value, or nu-number.

Abbe sine condition (OSC)

A condition where the magnification is constant across the aperture, and coma near the axis is zero. Paraxial magnification (m = u/u') and trigonometric magnification (M = sin U/sin U') should be equal, so that m/M = (u' sin U)/(u sin U') = 1.0. A departure from this equality is called the offense against the sine condition, or OSC. Near the axis, OSC = (sagittal coma)/ h'.

aberration

An image defect whereby all rays from a point source do not converge to a point image at the desired location. An aberrated wave front departs from a perfect sphere centered...