With the help of programmable functions, the diffraction effects induced by different obstacles can be studied.

The first-time observation of Poisson’s (or Arago’s) spot in 1818 constituted one of the most relevant experiments in the history of optics, helping discard the (at the time) favored position of attributing a corpuscular nature to light. When Fresnel presented his theory of diffraction before the French Academy of Sciences, Poisson, a member of the committee, scoffed at the fact that Fresnel’s approach predicted a bright spot in the shadow of a circular obstacle placed in the way of a beam of light. Here, we demonstrate this effect in VirtualLab Fusion, and, with the help of programmable functions, also the diffraction effects caused by different obstacles can be studied. For the latter case, we present an example of the modeling of a double-slit via a functional embodiment.

We show, in accordance to existing examples from literature, how to model slanted gratings with different geometries with the Fourier modal method (FMM) in VirtualLab Fusion.

Slanted gratings have been found to be of advantage in lightguide-based display systems for AR/MR applications. Such gratings often have periods that are comparable to the wavelength. Therefore, rigorous computational methods must be used to evaluate their performance. We show, in accordance with existing examples from literature, how to model slanted gratings with different geometries using the Fourier modal method (FMM) in VirtualLab Fusion. Additionally, customized slanted gratings can be designed with the help of parametric optimization.

In VirtualLab Fusion, by connecting different field solvers, we demonstrate how a dot project works.

A large-angle dot projector is the key optical component in Apple’s Face ID, which casts a structured dot pattern onto the face so as to create a 3D facial map. The dot projection system often employs an array of VCSEL units. Light from the VCSEL array is first collimated by a lens system, and then replicated by a two-dimensional grating into a large angular range. Simulation of such systems would require an appropriate model of the VCSEL source, a dependable handling of the lens system, and a rigorous method for gratings with relatively small periods. In VirtualLab Fusion, this connection of different field solvers is par for the course; we use this ability below in a demonstration of how a dot projector works.