In Sequential mode there are tools like Polarization Ray Trace or Polarization Pupil Map for you to understand the polarization status as a ray propagates through the system. How do we obtain this polarization status when tracing rays in Non-Sequential mode?

In Non-Sequential mode, the source polarization can be set under the Object Properties dropdown. When running ray trace, in the Ray Trace Control window, you have the option to save trace results for later analysis, by ticking the Save Rays box and enter a ZRD file name. After ray trace is completed, you can use Ray Database Viewer to load up the saved ZRD file. There you will see ray information segment by segment for each ray launched. Under Settings if you check the Exyz box, in the text output you will be able to view the electric field information. This allows you to analyze the polarization status of each ray as it propagates through the NSC system.

Additionally, there are some other methods you could try, for example turning on the Polarization flag on Detector so it’s only sensitive to certain polarization or creating a Table coating that passes certain polarization to help filter polarized rays. You can find a description on how to do this in the help file below:

The Setup Tab > Editors Group (Setup Tab) > Non-sequential Component Editor > Non-sequential Detectors > Detector Rectangle Object

The Libraries Tab > Coatings Group > Defining Coatings > The TABLE Data Section