What’s new in our Optical Modeling and Design Software?

Scattering of light is one of the most fundamental effects in optics. For those cases with scattering particles whose size is comparable to the wavelength of the light, e.g., liquid droplets or gaseous contaminants in the air, an exact treatment is required to produce an accurate enough model. The Mie solution, also known as the Lorenz-Mie solution, or Mie scattering, has been enabled in VirtualLab Fusion for the investigation of the scattering properties of a spherical particle. As an example, scattering by a particle made of either a dielectric or a metallic material is simulated, and both situations are then compared.

Inspired by certain moth and butterfly species, biomimetic moth-eye anti-reflection (AR) structures have been fabricated and used for a wide range of applications. Such structures can be modeled by assuming arrays of truncated cones with dimensions smaller than the wavelength of the light. VirtualLab Fusion provides convenient tools for constructing them, and the rigorous Fourier modal method (FMM) for their analysis. A typical workflow on the analysis and optimization of moth-eye structures is demonstrated.

Michelson interferometers and their variations can often be used for temporal-coherence or spectrum measurement for given light sources. In VirtualLab Fusion, with the flexibility in source modelling that said software provides various types of spectra with limited bandwidth can be set up. As an example, we demonstrate how to apply this source-model concept in a Michelson interferometer, vary the path length of one of the interferometer arms with the Parameter Run, and visualize how the coherence property of the source influences the resulting fringe pattern.

Jena, Germany | 16. – 19. September

Interferometry is one of the most widely applied technologies for precise measurement. By observing and investigating the fringe pattern, it is possible to judge the surface profile quality or gauge information about the spectral bandwidth. With the non-sequential field tracing technology in VirtualLab Fusion, optical interferometers can be set up and analyzed easily. Here we present two examples based on the classical Michelson interferometer: one with a coherent high-quality laser light source, and the other with a broadband white light source.

We are pleased to announce the release of VirtualLab Fusion (Build 7.5.0.158)!
In order to be able to use this update, the update service must include the 1^st quarter of 2019.

C# modules in VirtualLab Fusion give total freedom to the user for different calculation purposes. They can be implemented fast for relatively simple tasks based on given formulas while, at the same time, the C# module retains the capacity to interact with typical documents inside VirtualLab Fusion. For example, we demonstrate how to realize the grating period calculation (based on a given formula) for lightguide coupling in a C# module, as well as the computation of the deviation between two fields inside VirtualLab Fusion.

Slanted gratings play an important role in modern waveguide-based near-eye display devices for AR/MR applications. In VirtualLab Fusion, the performance of slanted gratings can be rigorously analyzed with the Fourier modal method (FMM, also known as RCWA). And, in combination with the evolutionary algorithm from optiSLang, we show how to optimize the parameters of a slanted grating structure for user-specified targets, e.g. good uniformity over the desired FOV or high coupling efficiencies on average.<u class="msoIns"> </u>