Getting Started
Welcome to Your First Steps with VirtualLab Fusion.
To help you start your optical design journey, here is a selection of use cases, tutorials and videos. The examples are presented in a sequence that facilitates learning, although they can also be addressed separately.
First Steps
It is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the fundamentals.
Tutorial
Educational Tutorial: Fabry-Pérot Interferometer
This tutorial offers a beginner-friendly, step-by-step introduction to VirtualLab Fusion, requiring no prior knowledge of the software.
Tutorial
Introduction to the Optical Setup
This tutorial introduces the Optical Setup, which can be seen as a virtual analogy to the real-life laboratory in VirtualLab Fusion.
Tutorial
Configuring Your Simulation in VirtualLab Fusion
This tutorial gives an overview of the different options and tools a user has access to when working with an Optical Setup file.
Tutorial
Spherical Lens Component
This tutorial demonstrates a component that facilitates the inclusion and specification of spherical lenses in VirtualLab Fusion.
Tutorial
3D Visualization of the Optical System
VirtualLab Fusion provides tools which generate a 3D visualization of optical systems and can therefore be used to check the positioning of elements...
Use Case
Position and Orientation of Optical Setup Elements
This use case demonstrate how to configure the position and orientation of optical elements within optical setups.
Tutorial
Universal Detector
The Universal Detector is the most versatile tool to evaluate and output any information of an electromagnetic field in VirtualLab Fusion.
Continue Learning
Learn Through First Hands-on Simulations.
Tutorial
Polarization Ellipses
This tutorial shows how to visualize the polarization state of light, represented as complex electromagnetic wave in a depictive way.
Use Case
Observation of the Poisson Spot
The vital role of diffraction in the Poisson-spot experiment provided proof of the wavelike nature of light.
Use Case
Pinhole Modeling in a Low-Fresnel-Number System
With the flexible Fourier transform settings in VirtualLab Fusion, we model the diffraction effect from surface apertures and pinholes in a low-Fresnel-number system.
Use Case
Modeling of Foucault Knife-Edge Test
The Foucault knife-edge test is a well-known historical experiment to determine the characteristics of a given concave-shaped mirror. In this use case we model this test for a spherical and a parabolic mirror.
Tutorial
Free Space Propagation Settings
This tutorial presents the different options users have in VirtualLab Fusion to configure the selection of Fourier transform algorithms.
System Configuration
Understanding the Settings.
Tutorial
Automatic Selection of Fourier Transform Techniques in Free-Space Propagation Operator
VirtualLab Fusion provides a unified free-space propagation concept in the k-domain, together with automatic selection of proper Fourier transform techniques.
Tutorial
Profile Editing Tool Speed vs. Accuracy
This tutorial introduces the Speed vs. Accuracy tool which allows the user to customize global sampling parameter.
Tutorial
Paraxial Assumptions Tool
This tutorial introduces the Paraxial Assumptions tool, demonstrating its options and providing a workflow of how to use it.
Tutorial
Profile Editor
This tutorial introduces the Profile Editor in VirtualLab Fusion.
Tutorial
Channel Settings for Non-Sequential Tracing
With the flexible channel configuration in VirtualLab Fusion, one can easily control the response of any surface and/or region, to realize the desired model
Final Steps
Gain Your First In-Depth Insights.
Use Case
Investigation of Sodium D Lines with a Fabry-Pérot Etalon
An optical metrology system with a silica spaced etalon is set up to measure the sodium D lines in the optical design software VirtualLab Fusion.
Tutorial
Usage of the Parameter Run Document
Using the Parameter Run in VirtualLab Fusion, one can specify the varying range of selected parameters flexibly, so as to perform system analysis.
Tutorial
Introduction to the Parametric Optimization Document
Three local and one global optimization algorithm are provided. This Tutorial introduces the associated Parametric Optimization document.
Use Case
Parametric Optimization of Fiber Coupling Lenses
With the parametric optimization in VirtualLab Fusion, the design of a fiber coupling lens with conical surface into a single-mode fiber is presented.
Visualization & Documentation
Unleash the Power of Your Results with a Polished Look!
Tutorial
Visualization Settings in VirtualLab Fusion
We illustrate the usage of the Global Options parameters that relate to visualization and the graphic display of results.
Tutorial
How to Format VirtualLab Fusion Results
This tutorial demonstrate how to customize and format a detector result according to personal favor or specific requirements of a report or publication.
Tutorial
Introduction to Data Arrays
Data Arrays are fundamental and flexible native data type in VirtualLab Fusion. This tutorial is an introduction on how to operate with them.
Tutorial
View Settings for 2D Data Arrays
In this document we take an in-depth look at the visualization options of 2D Data Arrays and go through the corresponding View ribbon options in detail.
Tutorial
Graphic Add-Ons
Graphics Add-Ons are a tool inside VirtualLab Fusion that allows you to overlay information, such as point clouds.
Tutorial
Add Point Cloud to Data Arrays
This tutorial shows how to overlay a point cloud (e.g. a dot diagram) onto another result document (e.g. an electromagnetic field result).
Tutorial
Add Region to Data Arrays
Graphics Add-Ons are a tool inside VirtualLab Fusion that allows the overlay of information, such as regions, onto a Data Array.