ZEMAX Software Research Articles

Design of a six-degree-of-freedom geometric errors measurement system for a rotary axis of a machine tool

This paper proposes a new kind of non-contact optical measurement system, which combines with a polygon mirror and a conical lens to achieve the purpose of simultaneously measuring six-degree-of-freedom (6 DOF) geometric errors for a rotary axis of a machine tool. At the beginning, we used the Zemax software to construct the proposed optical structure and observe the change of light spots on the detectors. Then, we built the proposed optical structure on the Matlab software by using the skew-ray tracing method, which used to present the actual condition of light spot change and compare with the simulation results. Then, we designed the appropriate fixtures to place the system structure on a rotary axis in a laboratory environment. After completing the laboratory-built prototype, we analyzed the effects of different geometric errors on the detectors at different angular positions of a rotary axis of a machine tool. The proposed measurement system simultaneously measured 6 DOF geometric errors of the rotary axis, and the experimental results were compared with those of two dial gauges by using the measurement method of ISO 230–7. The experimental results show that the maximum deviation ranges of the radial motion error in X axis, the radial motion error in Y axis, the tilt motion error around X, and the tilt motion error around Y are ±4.7 µm, ±6.0 µm, ±3.6 arcsec, and ±8.1 arcsec, respectively.

Optical design of compact unobscured ground-based diffractive telescope

To realize unobscured, compact structure and maintain loose tolerance, a novel method based on flat-field relay mirror for designing the ground-based diffractive telescope is proposed. Based on this mthod, we perform two different studies devised to design and reduce the manufacturing difficulty of compact unobscured ground-based diffractive telescope. Firstly, the formula of flat-field relay mirror structure based on aberration theory is deduced. Combining the Schupmann achromatic theory, a compact unobscured diffractive telescope with loose tolerance is designed. The designed focal length is 400 mm, F number is 5, the working waveband is 612.8-652.8 nm. After optimization by optical design software ZEMAX, the size of system is 720 mm × 435 mm, the total track distance is only 1/12 of transmissive diffractive telescope. The modulation transfer function (MTF) is greater than 0.73 at 50 lp/mm within 0.30°×0.07° field of view (FOV), and the imaging quality is approached the diffraction limit. Secondly, to further reduce the difficulty, the fabricating parameters of diffractive optical elements (DOE) and the alignment tolerance of system are designed and fully analyzed. The analysis results show that the DOE can be fabricated by existing binary lithography, the designed system meet the requirement of alignment. The designed system provides a good solution for ground-based diffractive telescope.

Partial Discharge Detection and Discharge Type Identification of Gas Insulated Switchgear Based on Photoelectric Detection

Gas insulated switchgear (GIS) is a relatively common high-voltage substation equipment. Due to the internal complex structure and integrated switch, it is easy to cause insulation defects, burrs and partial discharge of metal particles, thereby reducing the insulation of equipment performance, which has attracted the attention of many researchers. In this study, aiming at the problem of partial discharge in GIS, a detection device of partial discharge based on photomultiplier instrument is proposed. In this device, Zemax software is used to simulate a front-end optical signal receiving module that enhances the photosensitive surface and enhances the optical signal aggregation effect. In terms of signal processing, the output voltage signal of the photomultiplier instrument is filtered, and the corresponding signal is extracted for amplification. The partial discharge detecting device designed in the experiment is used to judge the internal insulation defects of the GIS, and to discriminate the metal protrusion defects, the metal particle defects on the insulator surface, the free metal particle defects, and the air gap defects between the insulator and the high voltage conductor, respectively. The partial discharge signal ϕ-u-v spectra of different defect models are constructed. Through the image simulation of partial discharge signals corresponding to defects, it is verified that the detection device can distinguish the partial discharge caused by different defects, which is helpful to prevent the occurrence of malignant discharge accidents and maintain the stable operation of GIS equipment.

Low-crosstalk super multi-view lenticular printing using triplet lenticular lens

Lenticular printing is widely used for outdoor advertisements, giant posters, and stage backgrounds. Current lenticular printing technology has a number of limitations, including a small number of viewpoints, serious crosstalk among viewpoints, and weak stereoscopic perception. In this study, we developed low-crosstalk super multi-view lenticular printing using triplet lenticular lens. Based on the super multi-view vision principle and the optical transmission characteristics of the cylindrical lens, the optical formula of the lenticular lens were derived. The viewing distance is 6 m, the viewing zone length is 3 m, and the number of viewpoints is 59. According to the above viewing requirements, the parameters of the lenticular lens were designed, including the radius of the curvature, and the thickness and the pitch. The light intensity distributions of 59 viewpoints in the viewing zone were simulated using optical software (Zemax and LightTools). The viewpoint width is 50 mm, which is less than a normal adults’ pupillary distance. Triplet cylindrical lenses were arranged in a circular arc to reduce crosstalk among viewpoints; the crosstalk of 59 viewpoints is from 3.9% to 4.8%. Finally, simulation results were verified experimentally. The results show that super multi-view lenticular printing can meet the requirements of auto-stereoscopic perception.

Solar Concentrator Consisting of Multiple Aspheric Reflectors

This paper presents an off-axis-focused solar concentrator system consisting of 190 aspheric reflectors, where the aperture radius of each reflector is 10 cm, and vertices of all reflectors are orderly arranged in the same plane. The aspheric parameters controlling the curvature of the reflectors are determined using coordinate transformations and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Based on these aspheric parameters, the light distribution of focal plane was calculated by the ray tracing method. The analyses show that the designed concentrator system has a spot radius of less than 1 cm and the concentration ratio over 3300:1 is achieved using only one reflection. The design results have been verified with the optical design software Zemax.

Geometric Aberration Theory of Offner Imaging Spectrometers.

A third-order aberration theory has been developed for the Offner imaging spectrometer comprising an extended source; two concave mirrors; a convex diffraction grating; and an image plane. Analytic formulas of the spot diagram are derived for tracing rays through the system based on Fermat’s principle. The proposed theory can be used to discuss in detail individual aberrations of the system such as coma, spherical aberration and astigmatism, and distortion together with the focal conditions. It has been critically evaluated as well in a comparison with exact ray tracing constructed using the commercial software ZEMAX. In regard to the analytic formulas, the results show a high degree of practicality.

Development of a beam imaging system for the European spallation source tuning dump

Abstract To provide essential beam diagnostics for the spallation target and for the tuning dump of the European Spallation Source (ESS) with its high-power, low-emittance proton beam, optical imaging systems have been developed allowing remote viewing of the beam profiles, using scintillation light from coatings on the proton beam window (PBW) at the accelerator exit and the target entry window (TW), and insertable interceptive screens at the tuning dump (TD). In this paper, we present the techniques used and the main parameters in the design of the TD system, including the optical configurations modelled in the software Zemax OpticStudio (ZOS). We also present the design principles for reflective optics which can transmit high-quality images, showing the performance of the imaging systems as predicted by ZOS and by prototyping. We take account of the requirements for initial alignment and ongoing maintenance of the optical system. Studies of the radiation and thermal environments, which impact on sensitive optical components such as cameras and mirrors, are also described, as are mechanical considerations for the vacuum vessels and screen actuators. Finally, comments are made on the applicability of similar optics to diagnostic systems at other neutron sources and accelerators.

Influence of high overload on the collimating lenses of laser ranging systems

Collimating lenses are an important component of laser ranging systems, and high overload environments severely affect the beam shaping effect of such lenses. This study proposes a buffer isolation method on the basis of impact stress wave attenuation theory for collimating lens spacers. ANSYS finite element software was applied to simulate the high load dynamics of collimating lenses, and the buffer isolation performance of different materials and composite structures was compared and analysed. Optical simulation analysis of the collimating lenses under different buffer conditions was performed using ZEMAX software to study the mechanism by which a high overload affects the collimating lenses. High overload and optical shaping experiments based on theoretical analysis were further conducted. Results showed the superiority of butadiene rubber to polytetrafluoroethylene after application of 70000 g impact acceleration. The combination-gasket method was superior to the single-gasket method, and the sandwich combination-gasket method was superior to the double-layer combination-gasket method.

Performance evaluation and optimization design of photoelectric pyrometer detection optical system

The measurement and control of high temperature play very important roles in national defense, military, scientific experiments, industrial and agricultural production. Photoelectric pyrometer is one of the important radiation thermometers for non-contact temperature measurement. It has an important application in the field of high temperature measurement, and its performance directly affects the accuracy of temperature measurement. By improving the design of the detection optical system of the photoelectric pyrometer, the imaging performance of the photoelectric pyrometer can be improved effectively, and the temperature measurement accuracy can be improved. In this paper, the temperature measurement principle of photoelectric pyrometer, the working principle of the detection optical system and the composition of the system are introduced. The optical components that affect the imaging of the optical system of the photoelectric pyrometer are analyzed. The optical pyrometer detection optical system is simulated by ZEMAX software, based on the analysis results, the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) and the spot Diagram are used as the main evaluation criteria to optimize the design of the objective lens of the photoelectric pyrometer detection optical system. The imaging performance of the photoelectric pyrometer detection optical system and the accuracy of temperature measurement of the photoelectric pyrometer are improved by optimization design of the detection optical system.

A comparative study of optical quality for different polymeric contact lenses

The comparision between pure organic polymer namely Poly(methyl methacrylate) “PMMA” and impregnated with Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) as contact lenses on image quality of human eye have been investigated. Pure PMMA and TiO2-PMMA materials were considered and applied using ZEMAX software as contact lenses (CLs) basis on Liou & Brennan eye model. Ocular performance was evaluated and analysis by three criteria, namely tangential modulation transfer function (TMTF), wavefront aberration characteristics and root mean square (RMS) of spot diagram. All the criteria showed that contact lens made of TiO2-PMMA when its refractive index (RI) = 1.61 and Abbe number (νd) = 31.8 provided the closest imaging properties to the healthy eye. From the results of our investigation, PMMA doping with TiO2 resulted in balanced RI with νd polymer and it provided the best retinal image when it used in CLs in comparison with image properties of the resulting image using the lens of pure PMMA polymer.

Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Measured Wavelength of Laser Light Using Mach–Zehnder interferometer

In this research, the experimental and theoretical studies to measure the wavelength of laser light by Mach–Zehnder interferometer were conducted. Then, the results were compared with Zemax software. The fringes have been obtained both as shining and dark. The wavelength of laser light and the diameter of fringes were calculated by the optical system. The calculation relies on the measure of the airy disk diameter, whose approximation is directly proportional to the wavelength of the laser source; and to the space between the aperture and the image plane. However, the calculation is reciprocally proportional to the diameter of the aperture. Then, the results were compared with Zemax software, where the ratio of error is very small.

Reliability analysis of free space optical communication link considering the effects of laser diode chirping

In this article, wavelength chirping of a semiconductor laser due to changes in current and temperature has been measured. Based on the range of variation, a suitable combined filter consisting of a short-pass filter and long-pass filter has been selected. The link budgeting was simulated using the specifications of the transceiver designed with Zemax software, and power and wavelength chirping experimental data. The effects of wavelength chirping and atmospheric visibility conditions on the free space optical communication link’s parameters are analyzed.

Differential method for freeform optics applied to two-mirror off-axis telescope design.

In this Letter, we present a method to design the freeform surfaces of an off-axis unobscured two-mirror telescope by integration of a system of differential equations. The system is derived from the differentiation of Fermat's path principle and is integrated as an ordinary differential equation problem. The method is used to design the freeform surfaces of a telescope whose performance is verified in off-the-shelf optical design software (Zemax).

The Measurement of Optical Interconnect Module Postsoldering Alignment Offsets and the Study of Its Influence on Optical Coupling Efficiency

In the process of the optical interconnection module soldering assembly, the mismatch of the thermal expansion coefficient between the substrate and printed circuit board would result in the production of alignment offset between light source devices and light-coupled devices, which would lead to light power loss. It is of great significance to study the optical interconnect module alignment offset in the assembly process to improve the optical interconnect module coupling efficiency. In this paper, an optical interconnection module key position postsoldering shift offset measurement system was established, and an optical interconnection module experimental sample was prepared. The key position postsoldering shift in the x- and y-directions was measured. The 3-D finite-element analysis model of a typical optical interconnect module was established, and postsoldering shift offsets were calculated after the finite-element analysis of the optical interconnect module under reflow soldering temperature load. The coupling efficiency simulation model of the optical interconnection module was established using the ZEMAX software, and the coupling efficiency was calculated according to the alignment offset measured in the experiment. The results revealed the following: the postsoldering alignment offsets in the x- and y-directions were 0.316 and 0.422 μm, respectively, and the synthetic alignment offset was 0.527 μm. The postsoldering alignment offset calculated using the finite-element simulation model was 0.436 μm, and its error was 17.2%, when compared with the measured value. The coupling efficiency of the optical interconnection module was 85.804% when the postsoldering alignment offset was 0.527 μm.

Offner型连续变焦中波红外光谱成像系统设计

In order to adapt to the application requirements of different field of view spectrometers, a continuous zoom medium-wave infrared spectrum imaging system based on offner scheme was designed. The front zoom system to achieve continuous zoom in the range of 60-300 mm was introduced in the system, and a grating-type offner concentric structure was used for spectral splitting and imaging. The working band was 3-5 m, the cooled medium-wave infrared detector was used, the F#=4.0 in this system. According to the object image exchange principle and the power distribution principle, the initial structure of the front zoom system and the relay system were calculated, and the zemax software was used to optimize each subsystem to meet the design parameters. The modulation transfer function of the final continuous zoom medium-wave infrared spectrum imaging system based on offner scheme was close to the diffraction limit at a spatial frequency of 33 lp/mm, and the root mean square radius of the spot was smaller than one pixel. The design results show that the system structure is simple, and the image quality is good and meets the design indicator requirements at each focal length position and each spectral segment.

光学设计软件Zemax在《工程光学》课程教学中的应用

光学设计软件Zemax在《工程光学》课程教学中的应用

Synthetic Aperture Orbital Telescope for Earth Remote Sensing Equipment

The object of the research is the development of the method of aperture synthesis of a mirror system designed for remote sensing of the Earth.The analysis of existing methods for the formation of the synthesized aperture was carried out, their accuracy, cost, and mass-dimensional characteristics were evaluated. A new version of the optical system of the synthetic aperture mirror lens is presented and its optimization is performed in the Zemax software package. An estimate of the accuracy of the designed system has been made; a design variant has been developed that includes a transformation mechanism when the telescope is put into near-earth orbit.As a result of the study, the design parameters of the base lens were determined: a focal length of 13 m, a main mirror diameter of 800 mm, a field angle of 0.25° for modifying a telescope for a low orbit; and the entire telescope as a whole: the lag from the main axis of the telescope is 1.2 m, the angle of rotation of the flat mirror for combining images (45 + 1,5)°, the signal-to-noise ratio (189 in a low orbit with an angle of the Sun 0°, 15 in the geostationary orbit with a sun angle of 60°).It has been established that the use of aperture synthesis technology allows the development of highresolution optical-electronic systems with lower production and operation costs compared with classical methods for forming the surface of the main mirror. In the course of the simulation, the instability of the values of the frequency-contrast characteristic with increasing angle of view was determined, which is important for a low near-earth orbit, and the requirement for positioning elements of the optical system was established.

고분자막과 다층구조를 이용한 가변렌즈기반 광학 줌 시스템

We have developed an optical zoom system based on tunable lens with polymer membrane and multilayered structure. The presented system employed two tunable lenses and two doublet lenses as the main refractive units. Each tunable lens had a delicately designed, solid-liquid mixed structure with multiple internal slim holes, which helped to improve the lens optical properties and stability against gravity. The optical structure and regulation principle of the zoom system is presented, as well as the detailed fabrication process of the tunable lens. Under different displacement loads, the lens deformation properties, and the adjustment ability and imaging characteristics of the zoom system were measured and analyzed. Besides, the spot diagram, field curvature and distortion of the system were simulated using the Zemax software. The magnification of the designed system could be regulated from 0.2X to 4.3X flexibly depending on the focal variation of each tunable lens.

Design of a reduced objective Lens fluorescence dPCR Gene chip detection system with high-throughput and large field of view

Achieving large FOV imaging and high resolution simultaneously for DNA detection poses an enormous conflict in the fluorescence microscope design field. As a result, this study sought to fill this gap by designing a system that is capable of producing the same quality imaging but of a simple, wieldy, cost-effective and unsophisticated nature. Therefore, we designed a dPCR gene chip detection system with high throughput, large field precision and reduced objective lens. This detection system can directly be used for imaging the fluorescence gene chip of 28 mm × 18 mm containing more than 20,000 channels. Three different kinds of fluorescence: FAM, HEX, and ROX can be used to capture images with a CMOS camera. The designed objective lens has a numerical aperture of 0.1 and a size reduction ratio of 1/2, capable of 20 mm working distance from objects, and with modulation transfer function (MTF) of more than 0.5 at 70lp/mm. Commercial optical design software ZEMAX was used to design the objective lens and control the aberrations by optimization operands. The Tolerance distribution and Monte Carlo tolerance analyses showed the design to be suitable for fabrication. According to the analyses, the detection system with the high-resolution ability of less than 10 μm (about 6um), thus, having low aberration and larger imaging scale is appropriate for DNA imaging. The designed gene fluorescent chip is expected to be adopted and utilized for the one-step imaging detection in clinical and bio application functions.

Atmospheric Aerosol Multiband Synthesis Imaging Spectrometer.

According to the characteristics of the spectrum distribution for atmospheric aerosol detection, a multiband synthesis imaging spectrometer system based on Czerny-Turner configuration is designed and proposed in this paper. Using a grating array instead of a traditional single grating, and together with a filter array, the proposed configuration can achieve hyperspectral imaging with the spectral resolution of 0.16 nm, 0.24 nm, 0.29 nm, and 2.05 nm in the spectral bands of 370-430 nm, 640-680 nm, 840-880 nm, and 1560-1660 nm, respectively. First, the system aberration caused by the spectral change was eliminated based on Rowland circle theory; then, Zemax software was used to optimize and analyze the optical design. The analysis results show that the root mean square (RMS) of the spot diagram is < 9 µm in all the working spectral bands, which demonstrates that the aberration has been corrected and a good imaging quality can be achieved. This design of multiband synthesis imaging spectrometer configuration proves to be not only feasible, but also simple and compact, which lays a solid foundation for the practical application in the field of atmospheric aerosol remote sensing spectroscopy.