Optical and Photonic Solutions Blog

 

Modeling Specialized Optical Properties Using LightTools UDOPs

In LightTools, a User Defined Optical Property (UDOP) can be created to model specialized optical surface properties that are not included in the standard selection of optical properties. The optical properties defined by a UDOP can be used to model actual physical effects such as birefringence, diffraction gratings, scattering, polarization, and patterned surfaces. A UDOP can also be used to effect non-physical functions such as beam replication, displacement and re-aiming, or to define customized receiver elements.

We have published a new white paper discussing UDOPs, and a sample UDOP that mimics a laser diode is available on our Customer Support Portal. The white paper discusses pre-built UDOPs and code samples provided in LightTools, and highlights several UDOP applications.

Users of the LightTools Advanced Physics Module have access to all the required tools to create their own UDOPs. Creating a basic UDOP requires some coding, but the process is well documented and not terribly difficult. Creating a UDOP to model complex phenomena like birefringence or diffraction can be more challenging. If you could use help developing a UDOP for your application, please contact our Engineering Services team at optics@synopsys.com.

Additional UDOP educational resources can also be found on our Customer Support Portal at opticsportal.synopsys.com.