<title>Dynamic simulation of ray tracing for jitter and drift analysis</title>

Abstract

Dynamic ray tracing is a new tool that combines optical ray tracing and dynamic simulation codes. The implementation presented in this paper is a customization of the commercial code ADAMS. The tool features a special subroutine that was written and linked to the code, enabling it to compute and display the paths and intersection points of reflected and refracted optical rays as the optical surfaces move dynamically. Its first intended use would be for analysis and control of high-frequency jitter and lower-frequency drift. In addition to "undesired" motions or deformations, the method may also be used to simulate intentionally moving optical components such as scanners or zoom systems. The main difference in this capability and that of the existing optical design codes is that this method yields visual dynamic results. In quasi-real time, the user can watch the ray trace move and the resultant image quality metric change due to unwanted or intentional motion of the optical elements. This approach will enable the user to more quickly understand and visualize the situation and will reduce the chances of error that arise when two codes have to be used (static ray tracing and dynamic simulation) to analyze the system.