Multidisciplinary integrated optimal design process for optomechanical structures

Abstract

This paper presents an integrated design process for optomechanical structures based on multidisciplinary optimization. The proposed integrated optimal design process comprises a finite element analysis by ANSYS Workbench, the MATLAB optomechanical transfer program, an optical analysis by ZEMAX, and the multidisciplinary optimization solver by Isight. In ANSYS Workbench, the deformation of optical surfaces, structures, and responses according to the design requirements is calculated in one project. Then, Zernike polynomial coefficients are calculated from surface deformation data of optical surfaces through a MATLAB optomechanical transfer program. In ZEMAX, the Zernike polynomial coefficients are imported into optical surface models of an optical system; then, optical performance parameters, such as the wavefront error, optical aberration, MTF, and OPD, are calculated. In the Isight environment, automatic iterative computations are performed between these three programs and, as a result, the design dimensions of optomechanical structures are determined, satisfying the design requirements and improving the performance of an optical system. By using this integrated optimal design process, the optimal design and analysis for a complete optomechanical structure, as well as individual structure parts, can be performed successfully. In this paper, the optimal design problem for three parts of a Cassegrain telescope, which consists of a primary mirror with an outer diameter of 156 mm and a secondary mirror with an outer diameter of 46 mm, was taken as an example. By using optimal parts, the image wavefront error of the Cassegrain telescope was decreased from 29.9 to 16.1 nm.