Raytracing through decentered and tilted graded-index optical systems.

Abstract

We had earlier reported a method1 for tracing finite rays through graded index media and had shown that for a given accuracy our method is faster than existing methods. In this paper we extend this method to trace rays through decentered and tilted graded-index optical systems. In existing literature on this subject, the shift of the centre and the till of a component have generally been taken in the same plane2. Using our method, we consider general cases of tilt and decentering and discuss the effect of these defects on various total aberrations. In particular, we discuss the effect of decentering and tilts of surfaces and gradient on the imaging properties of photographic singlet designs reported by Marchand3.