OpticalLibTPSA Files

This is an optical library for computing optical maps using truncated power series algebra (TPSA) and my TPSA library at SourceForge.  This way of modeling optics is useful for ray tracing, but this program also calculates path lengths (actually, wavefront phase advance) along rays, and it does so in up to two optical systems.  So in its current form its strength is that it can follow wavefronts through these systems and calculates their interference.  I've found it particularly useful for modeling null correctors in two-beam interferometers, and should be useful for modeling the laser diverging lens, beam splitter, and projection lens for the image sensor, i.e., the whole interferometer system.  Shearing is handled correctly.  Some or all these things make a difference when nulling is imperfect and the system under test is fast.  My interest is to use this software to compute a wavefront error for residual nulling of measured errors in software while figuring mirrors.

A description is in the doc directory at this link:

http://myplace.frontier.com/~nathan56/OpticalMaps/doc/OpticalMaps.html

The API documentation is at this link:

http://myplace.frontier.com/~nathan56/OpticalMaps/doc/OpticalMaps.chm

The OpticalMapsTest.exe application may be useful to the reader, and it can be run without downloading TPSA as it contains TPSA.  One should have downloaded some or all of the optical specification files in the ModelFiles directory for models to toy with.

Feedback is welcome.

1/2012
N. Towne