Lens-Design Software Enables Modern Precision Optics
Sophisticated optical systems were routinely designed before the advent of lens-design software: exquisitely capable microscopes, telescopes, camera lenses, and other optics designed by hand calculation served their purpose well. But fast computer calculation now allows the lens designer to find optimized solutions for very complex optical systems to take into account, to a highly precise degree, the effects of glass, fabrication, and mechanical imperfections; to easily add aspheric surfaces that reduce the number of elements, widen the field, and/or add other benefits; and so on. As a result, skilled lens designers working closely with skilled optics fabricators now produce precision optics for purposes ranging from smartphone cameras to military infrared (IR) imaging, computer chipmaking, augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR), and many others.
John Wallace’s article in the May issue of Laser Focus World provides a background on some commercial examples of current lens-design software packages, including Excelitas’ powerful, intuitive simulation program for designing optical imaging systems – WinLens Lens Optical Design Software.
Originating from our Qioptiq heritage, Excelitas offers complimentary versions of WinLens Basic and WinLens Predesigner, for optical education and rudimentary optical design, as well as the full capabilities of WinLens 3D featuring a range of software plug-in modules including Material Editor, Glass Manager and Optical Tolerancer to enable even more advanced optical design.
Read the Laser Focus World article online or download a pdf copy below to learn more.