Green Photonics - Virtual Prototyping

The following simulation methods and tools are applied in the context of Virtual Prototyping:

• Ray-tracing (ASAP, Zemax) – Simulation tools based on geometrical optics
  
  • Optimization of the uniformity of color in white light LEDs
  • Optimization of the distribution of light intensity and efficiency of LED modules
  • Optimization of illumination systems (based on LED, but also on conventional light sources such as halogen and incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tube lighting)
    
    • Reflectors
    • Hybrid systems (reflectors + refractive optics)
    • Macro- and micro-optics arrays

• Ray-tracing (ASAP, Zemax) – Simulation tools based on geometrical optics Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD Solutions) - simulation tool based on wave optics
  
  • Calculation and analysis of diffractive structures (structure sizes in the range of the wavelength of light)
    
    • Periodic structures (1D, 2D, 3D mesh)
    • Microlens array for light control
    • Photonic structures and diffractive optics
    • Incoupling and outcoupling structures for solar cells, waveguides, optical sensor devices
    • Simulation of particle and surface scattering
• Holistic simulation of complex optical systems that have both refractive and diffractive optical components
  
  • Combination of ray tracing and wave optical simulations (FDTD), including interfaces for considerations of data exchange and coherence
• CAD (Rhino, Autocad)
  
  • Modeling and data export of geometries for optics
• Creation of algorithms (MATLAB)
  
  • Calculation of free-form optics
  • Data processing and interfaces for data exchange between different simulation methods

Snapshot of the interaction between a plane-wave (intensity) with a triangular outcoupling structure. Left: wavelength is 10 times smaller than the structure -> total reflection at the edges prevents light outcoupling (evanescent fields visible along the edges); interference at the structure apex causes outcoupling of a small portion of the incident light. Right: the wavelength has the same dimensions as the structure -> outcoupling occurs due to interference effects along the entire structure width