Prof. Dr. Herbert Gross
University of Jena, Institute of Applied Physics
»Simulation Methods for Optical Systems«

There is a long tradition for simulating optical systems. Due to the complexity and the lack of powerful computers in the past, many simplifications have been proposed over the time. The most common approach is a ray based geometrical approach to modelling optical systems. More recently, many new aspects are emerging and the computational opportunities are growing. As a result, more physically based imaging modes are being used and the modelling of real fabricated components is becoming more and more popular to estimate the influences of imperfections. The impact of digital signal processing on the extraction of relevant information calls for a more comprehensive consideration of the characteristics and algorithms of sensors. Thus, a holistic approach has been developed to consider all these effects with the final goal of a virtual prototyping of a complex system.

The talk gives a short historical review and illustrates the development of the methods. Finally, the current state of the art as well as an outlook on future possibilities is sketched. In particular, the progress in simulating physical effects for coherent light in the models is considered in more detail.