There is a learning path that offers some useful guidance of material setup and algorithms of refractive index calculation. Materials – Knowledgebase (zemax.com)[How to return the index of refraction at a specific wavelength]There is a KBA that shows how to do it: How to return the index of refraction at a specific wavelength – Knowledgebase (zemax.com)An alternative way is to use 1-D Universal plot using the INDX operand. Basically, we can sweep the Wavelength 1 value, then calculating the INDX operand value for Wave 1 on Surface 1. This will create a plot with the specified number of steps. [How can I optimize the glass in sequential mode]Glass substitution, this method is suitable for the case that we need to consider materials that have special properties, for example, glasses suitable for molding or durable at extreme environmental conditions. See more details in this KBA:How to use glass substitution to optimize the glasses in your optical design – Knowledgebase (zemax.com)Model

When you want to change refractive index in multi configuration, you can use MIND operand for sequential mode surfaces. However OpticStudio doesn't have those operand for Non-sequential mode objects. How can you change refractive index for NSC objects in mulit configuration editor?   You can use NPRO operand. Please see the help file as below. Gradient index in this help file means these paramaters in object property.   So you can set every parameters in the tab via NPRO operand. For example if you choose GRIN1.dll , the correspondence between the code number and the parameter is as below. When you set value only 201 paramater, you can set isolate matrial as below.   Especially, if you chosse grin6.dll or grin9.dll, you can consider chromatic dispersion. Please read help file and refer the sample file.  

I am wondering if anyone can help on how to properly model a Fiber Bragg grating (Fiber Bragg grating - Wikipedia). I would assume this should be in non-sequatial model, but now sure how to properly set up a light soruce and how to introduce light into the fiber (I would need multi-mode fiber). Any examples or advice would be very much appreciated!

HiI am working on calculating the coupling efficiency of a multimode fiber from a simple aspheric lens system using the optimization feature. I tried first with NSQ mode (below picture) but realised after seeing the article below that SQ is more appropriate in my case. https://support.zemax.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500005486601-How-to-model-multi-mode-fiber-couplingin SQ mode, I have issues placing the lenses within their focal distance from each other and get the following:This question must be really basics but any tips on how to move the lenses from each other? Eventually I want to try the setup with lenses of varying focal lengths so I should be able to move them. The articles online suggest changing the thickness but that just distorts my lens. Any help is appreciated.Thanks,Hasti 

Hello,I would like to know why there is no option provided to select groove density when working with hologram diffraction grating. Beacuse  I want to trace the ray path  of a hologram diffraction grating  with groove density 1200 vmmThank you

I noticed the Filter String in NSC Layout is not automatically updated when a new object is inserted in the NSC Editor. More specifically, I wonder why the object numbers are not updated automatically in the Filter String when a new object is inserted.Is this something in the to-do list of Zemax developers? Or, instead, is auto-update unwanted for some reason?

Hello,I'm working with imaging system. I want to focus light at the center of detector. I used Two angle source so when Detector placed at 45 Deg to get the irradiance of source, there is shift in high intensity on detector to its edges. And also when placed tilted Biconic surface(It has two radii), there also got shift in intensity on tilted detector. . But I think its due to off axis effect and have no idea how to solve it.  Could you please help me to solve thisThank you

Dear experts,I'm working on a project in Non-Sequential Mode (NSM), involving a multiple pass optical cell with concave mirrors coated in gold. Can I adjust the surface flatness of these mirrors to values like λ/8 or λ/2 in NSM? If so, how? And if not, what is the default surface flatness in Zemax NSM? Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!Best regardsUmar

I have a large aspect ratio design that I have been viewing with the cross section layout tool using the Y Stretch setting. Is there a similar way to scale the X and/or Y axes without modifying the Z axis in the 3D layout tool? Thanks!

Hi Zemax Community, I am reading the book, introduction to lens design with practical zemax examples.And in the chapter 16.5,a Longitudinal Aberration Coefficients tables show several items.including LSPH, LAST,LFCP,LFCS,LFCT and LAXCbut in my data,there are LSPH,LSCO,LTCO,LAST,LPFC.LSFC,LTFC and LDISI have looked up in the help manual but did not get instructions on the ,say LAXC1)Does the Zemax version matter this issue?2) Could you tell me how each coefficient corresponds to each other?my zemax version: Ansys Zemax OpticStudio 2023 R1.03the book's version: Zemax SE version 6.0-7.2 Thank you YANG

While tolerancing for an optical system I have chosen the criterion as Merit Function. However when the analysis is performed the nominal criterion is taken as zero. Also no change in the system is taking place for the tilts and decenter. However there is change when TTHI is used, but variation in the Best and Worst is more the accepted range. So why is this so and how can I rectify this problem?

Hello,I am trying to create a circular beamsplitter with a 50:50 ideal coating on the top semicircle and no coating on the bottom semicircle. How can I achieve this?So far I have tried to insert a “Standard Surface” at the front face of the glass wedge, applied a custom aperture to the surface, but then I found that I cannot apply a custom coating from MYCOATINGS.DAT to a Standard Surface in NSC.Next, I tried to create a very thin cylindrical volume in front of my beamsplitter substrate. I applied my 50:50 coating to this surface, but I found that I could not apply an aperture.So if I use a surface, I cannot apply a coating. If I use a volume, I cannot apply an aperture. What am I missing here?Thanks! 

Hello folks,I’ve recently been modeling interferometric thin films in zemax, and have been unable to determine how to change the “Incident Media” of the coating analysis in Non-Sequential mode. I’ve used the Fabry-Perot.ZDA, using only the standard files for coatings/materials, as an example.In sequential mode, its fairly straightforward-the material of the previous surface is taken as the incident media. However, if you convert the file to an NSC group, the incident media is assumed to be air, even if the two objects are touching*. My search through the help has given me little beyond the “reverse direction” checkbox, and even that merely swaps the substrate and incident media.So how can you choose the incident media for this analysis when done in non-sequential mode?*I would also note the conversion put the coating on the corresponding surfaces of the “surface 1-2” and “surfaces 1-3” objects, though I can easily correct this.

Hi OfficialI am trying to export a parabolic mirror with rectangular aperture to step file. But export is following the numerical aperture even for dummy surface which i do not want, example step is given below.  I want this marked surface to be flat without compromising output beam size. when i try to insert a dummy surface, beam size is changing. Attached is zip folder with original zemax file and step file. i exported surface 1 to 4 with following settings. Please advise on how i can do it.   

Hey Zemax team,Sadly my license for OS does not include the new ‘draw entrance and exit pupils’ feature, but I saw a posting on LinkedIn that leads me to think it’s not correct. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ir-ekim-yildirim-bb9481161_did-you-know-that-zemax-2024-r1-can-draw-activity-7179440511521292288-86_4?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktopI’m assuming that the red pupils are the off-axis pupil (and so sees the red rays). The pupils appear to me to be:tilting the wrong way not centered on the chief ray of the field pointI can’t play with the feature to satisfy myself. Could someone post this layout (its the double Gauss sample file) with ‘Draw Marginal and Chief Rays’ selected please?Mark

I’d like to make a reflective diffuser surface (basically engineered diffuser). Behavior would be:The diffusiveness is defined by grain size (p), and the incoming ray would be randomly diffused according to diffraction equation:sin(theta_out) = sin(theta_in) ± lambda/p * randomnessrandomness varies between [0-1] I couldn’t find it in the scattering option. How could I model this? If given instruction, I think I could use user defined surface.. but I’m not sure if there is easier way. Thank you for your attention! 

It looks like support for .rsmx models was depreciated in R23.1.I’m trying to model a CREE led (XD16) and it looks like they only host .rsmx files.Is there any work around and/or plans for future support?Any advice on how to proceed would be helpful. 

How to limit value of operand to a value which is not constant and depends other parameter? For example: calculate 1/10 of radius from Surface and then task is to limit conic to be bellow calculated value. OPLT does not allow for this. 

Hi all.I discovered something strange during geometric image simulation.When I open the .IMA file in Notepad, I can see that it matches the .BMP file.However, when I check it in the IMA file viewer, some parts are cut off and a discontinuous line pattern is visible. This also leads to strange results in geometric image simulations. .BMP filepart of the .IMA file  .IMA image with IMA viewer How can I fix it?I uploaded .IMA and .BMP files.I'm asking for help. Thanks.  

Hello,I've come across an issue in the 2024 version of Zemax OpticStudio where not all the solvers are visible in the lens editor, whereas in the 2022 version, they appear as expected.Can anyone offer some guidance or a solution? Regards, Hadi

Hello everyone. I am currently working with an input collimated gaussian laser beam of 0.8mm width, which propagates through several lenses and focuses at a distance of 30mm from the last surface of the lens. My objective is to measure the spot size and rayleigh length of my Gaussian beam at an off-axis position. I attempted to use POP (Physical Optics Propagation) for this purpose, but unfortunately, the results did not align as expected.Could anyone offer assistance in identifying the underlying issue?Thank you in advance.

Hi,Is there a method to visualize in the 3D layout specific segments of a ray trace path in NS mode?I have performed a ray trace in NS and saved the rays and path data. For some of the paths I need to visualize specific segments, not from the source, but after an iteration with a surface.Is that possible?

Hello After update to latest version, the ‘pick-up’ solver in thickness and radius column were disappeared. Does it happen on my machine only?   

Hello everyone, hope you are doing great, I am directing two laser beams, each with a power of 1.32mW, into the human eye simultaneously. One beam converges at the cornea with a spot size of 40um, while the other remains collimated at the cornea and converges at the retina with a spot size of 30 um. My query is whether it is feasible to track the reflected beam power at various segments of the eye, such as the cornea, lens, and retina. I would appreciate guidance on designing such a system. Thank you in advance for your assistance.   

Hi,I need to model both forward and back scattering from each surface in a lens system using ABg values.For the sake of this example I set the ABg values to be the same. The scatter forward/back is scaled to the specularly transmitted and reflected components. In this case, the surface Coating is set to I.99, so the back-scatter is 1% of the forward-scatter.My problem: I have been working under the assumption that AR coatings will not reduce the scatter - AR coatings can change the scatter profile, but the TIS tends to increase as coat layers only add to Rq*. However, simple coatings (6-layers or less) tend to the TIS of the uncoated substrate.*Stray Light Analysis and Control, Eric C. Fest, Section 4.2Therefore my scattering predictions are for uncoated substrates - giving me TIS values. I then scale them to the incident ray. So I ideally want the scatter of the surface to be independent of the AR coating. Is there a way to tell Zemax to scale the scatter to the incident ray? Or do I