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Optical Design software provides an optical designer with a set of tools to evaluate and test the performance of an optical system or apparatus. It is commonly done with a set of visualization tools and a list of activities for the creation of an optical system. The design process begins with basic considerations of spatial and temporal characteristics of the input and the output of an optical system. The consideration can address any vertical in Optics such as Imaging (image distance, sizes, aperture, focal length), Thin Film coating (desired filter, material, layer thickness, uniformity, repeatability, throughput), Non-linear optics ( frequency, polarization, phase or path of incident light), quantum dot (size, wavelength, electronic state) Fourier optics (spatial correlation, Fourier transformation)Â Gaussian beam (Radius and beam waist, Gaussian intensity profile) or any other field.
The optical designer must find a suitable starting design, either derived from basic theory, from his experience or from a design library (e.g. 3DOptix design library at https://3doptix.com/collections/software-opt-files). This starting point will be analyzed and optimized, by applying changes to the different optical elements, selecting different optical variables, or even changing the optical elementsâ physical locations to improve a performance metric and/or to match the requirements. Â
4. Why do optical designers and optical product manufacturers are using optical simulation softwares?
6. Is there a Cloud-based Optical Design software?
Free |
Online, Cloud-based, no need to install |
Ease of use |
Embedded Optomechanics Database |
Embedded Optics DataBase |
|
3DOptix |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Zemax |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Lumerical |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Comsol |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Lambda Research Corporation |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |