Here is a list of some of the programmes available to LRC staff and students. If you have further questions, please contact Dr. D. Paipula.
Zemax OpticStudio Premium 19
Zemax is a powerful Ray Tracing program for the design and analysis of optical systems. Its main engine is geometrical optics, so it can be used to evaluate the performance of an optical system, assess aberrations, select the right optical elements, etc. It also has a good plug-in for simpler physical optics problems (e.g. propagation of a Gaussian or slightly more complex beam through the optical system under consideration, etc.). What the program does and does not do can be found on the manufacturers' website and, of course, in the tutorial/description that comes with the installation.
Page link: https://www.zemax.com/products/opticstudio
How to use: we have an academic (non-commercial) version. You can install it on your work computer (it needs to be on the LRC network). The restriction is that no more than 5 users can use the program at the same time. So a request would be not to leave it open on your computer for a long time if you are not doing any calculations. The likelihood of more than 5 people using it at the same time will be small, but occasionally the number of users will increase, due to the lab work done by students on this program.
Download the latest version here: https://customers.zemax.com/os/opticstudio/downloads/opticstudio
Additional resources: we have also purchased an additional optical systems catalogue, ZEBASE, with recipes for optical systems. The printed catalogue is available from Dr. D. Paipul.
COMSOL Multiphysics
COMSOL is the most popular finite element analysis program that allows you to measure several different physical phenomena in one system (e.g., shining a laser at a lens and simulating how the lens focuses, but at the same time simulating how the lens heats up and expands, and also scatters the laser beam as it does). There are many examples of applications available on the internet, as the software is very popular worldwide.
Page link: https://www.comsol.com/
The following modules have been installed:
ELECTROMAGNETICS MODULES: AC/DC, RF, Wave Optics, Ray Optics, Plasma; FLUID FLOW & HEAT TRANSFER MODULES: CFD, Microfluidics, Heat Transfer; STRUCTURAL MECHANICS & ACOUSTICS MODULES: Structural Mechanics, Nonlinear Structural Materials, Multibody Dynamics, MEMS; MULTIPURPOSE: Optimization Module, Material Library; INTERFACING PRODUCTS: LiveLink™ for MATLAB®, LiveLink™ for Inventor®. How to use: the application can only be used on one dedicated computer. This computer is currently located in room 406 (PhD students' room on the 3rd floor). The computer is called Modelling PC I.
Synopsis RSoft Photonic Component Design Suite
Unlike Zemax, this program solves the physical problem of the propagation of electromagnetic waves through a selected object, so that in principle it can be used to model problems of any complexity: micro-optics, diffraction gratings, fibre optics, plasmonic phenomena, photonic crystals, anisotropic materials, non-linear materials, etc.
The following modules have been implemented:
FullWAVE: FDTD method in 2D or 3D space (the most general simulation mode); BeamPROP: simulation of beam propagation in integrated optics (fibre optics); DiffractMOD: modelling of diffraction phenomena (gratings, etc.); BandSOLVE: simulation of photonic crystals; GratingMOD: modelling of Bragg gratings. Page references:
https://www.synopsys.com/optical-solutions/rsoft/component-design.htm
https://www.synopsys.com/optical-solutions/rsoft/rsoft-products.html
How to use: The software can only be used on one dedicated computer. This computer is currently located in room 406 (PhD students' room on the 3rd floor). The computer is called Simulation PC II. Please contact Dr. D. Paipula for details.
MATLAB
One full MATLAB licence has been purchased and installed on the Modelling PC I (room 406, PhD students' room, 3rd floor).
VirtualLab5
VirtualLab5 is a program for simulating the propagation of fibres through various optical elements (something like ZEMAX, but for fibres instead of rays). Only one version is available, opened with a USB key. The installation files and a series of tutorials are uploaded to the server.
For the USB key please contact Dr. D. Paipula. The standard location of the key is in the Simulation PC I (room 406, PhD students' room, 3rd floor).