| ZEMAX supports different types of sources for sequential and non-sequential analysis. |
Sequential sources |
| For sequential ray tracing, sources are defined as either field points or extended bitmaps on the object surface. |
Conventional point sources are available, and field points may be defined using angles, object heights, real image heights, or paraxial image heights. Point sources may be defined with different weights, and vignetting for each source may be specified independently. This allows adjustments in the relative illumination and/or F/# as a function of field position. |
ZEMAX also supports astigmatic and elliptical diode-type sequential sources. Sources may radiate into any solid angle up to 360 degrees. |
Extended sources are also available. These sources are user defined using an ASCII format similar to a bitmap image, or in the standard Windows BMP or JPG format. The number of pixels is user defined, and the intensity can vary at each pixel. It is possible to create sources which vary in intensity as a function of wavelength and position. |
Non-sequential sources |
| Non-sequential sources may be far more complex than sequential sources. Non-sequential sources are generally three-dimensional, and are defined to have an output in either Watts, Lumens, or Joules. A user defined number of rays is generated by each source to control the source sampling. Separate controls are available for the number of rays shown on layouts and analysis windows. |
The following non-sequential sources are supported: |
- Point uniform, cosine, or Gaussian
- Elliptical surface or volume
- Rectangular surface or volume
- Cylindrical surface or volume
- Laser diode, or arrays of laser diodes
- Filament
- User defined (arbitrary using either table or function)
- Radiant Imaging’s Radiant Source TM
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Multiple sources may be used at once. Source may also be coherent, with a user-defined coherence length, or incoherent. All sources may be polychromatic or monochromatic. |
