Each one-hour session of the SPIE Education Webinar Series provides an introduction to various optics and photonics topics while also offering a preview of one of our most popular courses.
Topics include optomechanics, quantum computing, lidar for autonomous vehicles, microlithography, optics surface inspection, and more. Whether you watch the recordings or register for upcoming live webinars, access is always free.
This presentation outlines principles of operation of waveguide-based smart glasses and how they are applied in devices such as HoloLens, Magic Leap, and Orion glasses.
Andreas Georgiou introduces his in-person course, Waveguides for Mixed Reality: Principles and Applications (SC1317), scheduled at Photonics West and AR | VR | MR 2025.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 11 December 2024.
This presentation provides an overview on methods to help determine optimal tolerances for their optical systems. This multi-disciplinary approach allows teams to work together to build cost-competitive products.
Jennifer LeBaron Michels provides an introduction of her in-person course, Cost-Conscious Tolerancing of Optical Systems, scheduled at Photonics West 2025.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 13 November 2024.
Watch this presentation on image capture, sensor architectures, noise sources, performance measurement/optimization, sensor manufacturing, camera design and cost considerations, and examples of camera design process.
Richard Crisp provides a summary of his in-person course, CMOS Image Sensors: Technology, Applications and Camera Design Methodology, scheduled at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2024.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 17 July 2024.
The presentation provides an overview on concepts applied to NIR spectrograph design and development, including first-order design, component specification, image quality, modeling, and testing.
Andy Sheinis, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, presents a summary of his in-person course, Introduction to Visible and NIR Spectrograph Design and Development for Astronomy, scheduled at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2024.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 22 May 2024.
Watch this overview of near-infrared and shortwave infrared wavebands that can be used for interesting and novel imaging applications.
Austin Richards provides an introduction of his in-person course, NIR and SWIR Imaging Applications (SC710) scheduled at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2024.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 19 March 2024.
Watch this discussion of the potential impact of an optical system’s specifications on an optical design project and the importance of checking your specifications for conflicts before moving into the design phase.
Julie Bentley provides an introduction to her in-person course, Understanding Optical System Specifications: Identifying and Managing Hidden Conflicts (SC1311) often taught at Photonics West.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 30 November 2023.
Watch this survey of important optical and system design parameters as well as key human factors requirements that must be met to ensure successful product design.
Michael Browne and James Melzer introduce their in-person course, Head-Mounted Display Requirements and Designs for Augmented Reality Applications (SC1096), which is often scheduled at AR | VR | MR and Photonics West.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 16 November 2023.
Gain valuable insight into all aspects of the diamond turning process, including cutting mechanics, metrology-based troubleshooting, component specifications and tolerances, and the history and current state-of-the-art in diamond turning technology.
John Schaefer provides an introduction to his in-person course, Fundamentals of Single Point Diamond Turning (SC848), often scheduled at Optifab.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 19 September 2023.
It is important for the optical engineer working in areas such as VR/displays, etc. to understand the eye as an optical system. Various aspects of the optical performance eye will be discussed.
Vasudevan Lakshminarayan, University of Waterloo, provides an introduction to his in-person course, Optics of the Eye for Engineers (SC1330), often scheduled at Optics + Photonics.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded on 12 July 2023.
Polarization critical systems are simulated by polarization ray tracing and tested with imaging spectropolarimeters. Control of polarization aberrations is tied to many performance metrics for polarization and image performance.
Russell Chipman, Meta, provides an introduction to his in-person course, Polarized Light and Optical Design (SC1247), often scheduled at Optics + Photonics.
Preview the content by watching the webinar recorded 13 June 2023.
This presentation provides an overview of the target tracking and state estimation methods associated with multisensor data fusions.
Consultant Lawrence Klein provides an introduction to his in-person course, Target Tracking and State Estimation Methods Associated with Multisensor Data Fusion (SC1243), often scheduled at Defense + Commercial Sensing.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 22 March 2023.
This presentation provides an overview of the industrial ultrafast laser market, reviews the fundamentals of the laser-material interaction for ultrafast pulses, and discusses the main industrial applications.
Norman Hodgson, Chief Technology Officer Lasers at Coherent, introduces his in-person course, Industrial Ultrafast Lasers for Micro-Processing and Applications (SC1285), which is often scheduled at Photonics West.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 15 November 2022.
This webinar addresses several key aspects of quantum computing, including foundational ideas and the most famous quantum algorithms. It covers the state-of-the-art in current quantum computer technology (hardware and programming platforms) and the quantum technology business ecosystem.
Salvador Venegas-Andraca, Head of the Computer Science Department, Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Santa Fe, provides an introduction to his in-person course, Quantum Computing: A Concise Introduction (SC1319), often scheduled at Photonics West.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 11 October 2022.
In this webinar, we review the various display architectures used today in AR, VR, MR, and smart glasses and list the latest HMD on the market that incorporate such architectures.
Bernard Kress, Director, XR Hardware, Google, provides an introduction to his in-person course, Optical Technologies and Architectures for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) (SC1218), often scheduled at Photonics West and AR | VR | MR.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 13 September 2022.
To fashion precision optical elements in a successful business, we need to understand the materials, machinery, processes, and practical issues involved.
Consulting Engineer Ray Williamson provides an introduction to his full-day, in-person course, Optical Manufacturing Fundamentals (SC1169), often scheduled at Optics + Photonics.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 22 June 2022.
This webinar provides an overview of how functional-based systems engineering can be used to create scientific instruments that are fit for purpose.
Hermine Schnetler, Systems Engineer Group Head, UK Astronomy Technology Center, provides an introduction to her half-day, in-person course, Functioned-based Systems Engineering for the Design of Astronomical Instruments and Control Systems Architectures (SC1001), often scheduled at Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 24 May 2022.
In this webinar, Murrae Bowden, President, Electronic Materials & Processing (EMP) Consulting and Ralph Dammel, Research Fellow, EMD Electronics, provide an introduction to their full SPIE course, Introduction to Microlithography, Theory, and Processing (SC101), which covers the physics of aerial image generation, the chemistry responsible for generation of differential solubility in resists, and the effects of processing variables on the final relief image.
The instructors explain the topics covered in the short course and how they relate to its target of enabling attendees to understand and troubleshoot photolithographic processes.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 12 April 2022.
In this webinar, Daniel Vukobratovich, Senior Principal Multi-Disciplinary Engineer at Raytheon Systems, provides an introduction to his full SPIE course, Introduction to Optomechanical Design (SC014), which provides the training needed to work with the mechanical features of optical systems, with an emphasis on methods for rapid estimation of optomechanical system performance.
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 10 March 2022.
In 2017, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a new version of its drawing notation standard for imperfections, ISO 10110-7, adding the American MIL scratch and dig method. Dave will discuss how the new standard is changing the optics world.
In this webinar, Dave Aikens introduces two of his full SPIE courses: Understanding Scratch and Dig Specifications (SC700) and Optics Surface Inspection Workshop (SC1017).
Preview either SC700 or SC1017 by watching the webinar recorded 15 December 2021.
Optical system design, specification, layout, and engineering remain critical to the global technical community. We outline a practical approach to optical system design to maximize your success.
In this webinar, Richard Youngworth, Founder and Chief Engineer of Riyo LLC, and Craig Olson, Engineering Fellow for Imaging and Optical Systems at L3 Harris, provide an introduction to their full SPIE course, Practical Optical System Design (SC003).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 17 November 2021.
This webinar provides an introduction to mid-spatial frequency (MSF) errors, including a preview of what causes them, how to measure them and methods to reduce or eliminate MSF errors.
In this webinar, Jessica DeGroote Nelson, Director of Technology and Strategy at Optimax, provides an introduction to her full SPIE course, Seeing, Analyzing and Controlling Mid-Spatial Frequency (MSF) and Surface Roughness Errors on Optical Surfaces (SC1171).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 22 September 2021.
Next-generation astronomical telescopes enable new discoveries and a deeper scientific understanding of our universe. This webinar discusses high-dynamic-range optical testing technologies that guide and evaluate the precision optics manufacturing process.
With this webinar, Daewook Kim, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, provides an introduction to his full SPIE course, Introduction to Interferometric Optical Testing (SC213). The content is also relevant to the SPIE course Modern Optical Testing (SC212).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 27 July 2021.
This webinar introduces the equipment, techniques, tricks, and skills necessary to align optical systems and devices. You learn to identify errors in an optical system, and how to align lens systems.
Kenneth Castle, president of Ruda-Cardinal, Inc., provides an overview of his full SPIE online course, Introduction to Optical Alignment Techniques (SC010). Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 18 May 2021.
This webinar introduces concepts about how to design a digital camera from a systems perspective, with emphasis on the optical specification and how that relates to the sensor.
Principal Engineer of Corporate Projects at Amazon.com Leo Baldwin gives a brief overview of his SPIE online course, Designing and Specifying Digital Cameras (SC1231).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 17 March 2021.
This is a high-level discussion of some parameters that drive the design of lidar systems used on autonomous vehicles.
In this webinar, Joseph Shaw gives a brief overview of his SPIE online course, Introduction to Lidar for Autonomous Vehicles (SC1232).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 15 October 2020.
In this webinar, Rolf Behling, a medical industry veteran and founder of XtraininX (Behling Technical Consulting) discusses braking radiation, its future for diagnostic X-ray imaging, and alternatives.
This webinar also serves as an introduction to his full SPIE online course, Modern Diagnostic X-ray Sources (SC1183).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 9 February 2021.
Jon Arenberg of Northrop Grumman and Paul Lightsey of Ball Aerospace are both chief engineers at NASA's James Webb Telescope, and in this webinar they provide an overview of systems engineering for astronomical systems.
This webinar also serves as a brief overview of their full SPIE online course, Systems Engineering and Large Telescope Observatories (SC1139).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 3 December 2020.
Get the basic principles of designing, building, and testing optical systems whose stray light performance is adequate for their intended purpose.
In this webinar, Eric Fest gives a brief overview of his SPIE online course with the same name, Stray Light Analysis and Control (SC1199).
Preview this course by watching the webinar recorded 10 November 2020.
In this webinar, Jessica DeGroote Nelson briefly reviews how lenses are made. She touches upon common optical drawing specifications and tolerances, and how they lead to making more cost effective optical components.
Watch the webinar recorded 18 August 2020, as an introduction to Jessica's online course, Optical Materials, Fabrication and Testing for the Optical Engineer (SC1086).