Undergraduate Team Earns Recognition in 2026 Keysight Optical Design Competition
A team of University of Arizona Optical Sciences and Engineering students has been recognized in the 2026 Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition, sponsored by Keysight Technologies. The team of Cory Kaspar, Ethan Luker, Linden Solgonick, and Matias Straub Martinez earned recognition for their project, "High NA Microscope Objective with Depth-Dependent Spherical Aberration Correction."
Developed using CODE V, the project explored advanced optical design techniques aimed at improving microscope performance through sophisticated aberration correction methods.The students, all incoming seniors in the University of Arizona's Optical Sciences and Engineering program, credit their inspiration to Professor Yuzuru Takashima, whose courses introduced them to optical design principles and advanced aberration correction techniques.
"CODE V was an essential tool used in development that made our project possible through its optimization capabilities and design interface," the team said. "We encourage future participants in this competition to use aberration correction techniques combined with CODE V's optimization software to develop successful optical systems."
The Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition invites undergraduate and graduate students from across North America to submit innovative optical design projects completed using Keysight software tools. The annual competition recognizes technical excellence while helping students gain visibility within the optics and photonics community.