Hi Frederick

In OpticStudio, there is an analysis called Pupil Aberration which is under The Analyze Tab (sequential ui mode) > Image Quality Group > Aberrations (Image Quality Group) > Pupil Aberration. It is equivalent to a Ray Aberration Fan except that it is is computed at the stop surface. So you could define a merit function to compute aberrations at the STOP surface. I would recommend checking these articles: 

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  How to optimize at intermediate surfaces

  
  
  



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  Why is the optical performance sometimes different at the Image surface versus a co-located surface?

  
  
  

Sandrine

Hi Fred, May I ask why you want to reduce pupil aberrations specifically? It's usually not a good idea to target aberrations directly, and its better to target something that you can physically measure in real life.

But, to answer your specific question, you can use IMSF in the merit function to define a new Image Surface on the fly, or the Make Conjugate Tool under Setup...Configuration to define a whole subsystem (image, stop and object) inside a larger system. That would be ideal if you were designing a relay optic that images the exit pupil of one system onto the entrance pupil of another.

- Mark

Thank you very much, Sandrine and Mark, for your responses. 

Mark, you are correct that I need to image the exit pupil of one system onto the entrance pupil of another. For example, if the pupil has spherical aberration there will a 'kidney bean' shadow and other negative effects. So I need to optimize the design such that I balance image quality with pupil 'quality'. 

I will try the Make Conjugate Tool that you suggested, thank you! Is there an alternative method that would work better, or should I stick with that? 

-Fred