Optical design is a fascinating activity, ranging as it does from lens design and modeling with the help of the immensely powerful design software currently available, to the semi-intuitive art of creating the conceptual design which underlies any successful optical system. The 'art' depends on a wide-ranging knowledge of many of the sub-disciplines that make up optical engineering, which in turn encompasses the interaction between optics and all the activities that turn an optical design into an operational instrument. 

Beyond ray tracing, the optical designer may employ the tools of radiative transfer, electromagnetic theory for detailed diffraction or polarization modeling, principles of scattering for stray light analysis and control, and other appropriate modeling tools and techniques for deriving suitable performance metrics arising from such fields as spectroscopy, astronomy, vision, or microscopy. And beyond optical design, the optical engineer is concerned with the fabrication of components, assembly and alignment techniques, metrology and calibration, as well as the interaction with other engineering disciplines such as mechanical, thermal, electronic, and software. 

Current Developments serves the multi-faceted discipline that is lens design and optical engineering, and the multi-talented individuals that dedicate themselves to this field. This perennial conference, held since 1984 under a number of slightly varied titles, will continue to spotlight the hot topics in lens design and optical engineering while still covering the breadth of this field. The lens designer and the optical engineer, often the same person, will find this conference a home to stay abreast of the frontiers of this constantly evolving field. 

Contributions dealing with recent developments in lens design techniques, instruments, components, processes, materials, thin film, systems, design, or topics in an optical engineering subject area at any wavelength belong here. 

This year the conference will introduce a SPECIAL SESSION to the program. Submissions for the special sessions are welcome and the session will be complemented with invited talk to provide an overview and recent progress in Physical optics in the context of lens design.

• non-paraxial propagation and vectorial fields
• polarization
• coherence
• physical optics and lens design/modeling software.