Ray Optics and Ray Tracing

When light waves propagate through and around different objects whose dimensions are much greater than the wavelength of light, then its behavior can be adequately described by rays obeying a set of geometrical rules, this model is called Ray Optics. Ray Optics is the simplest theory of light. Ray Optics is also called Geometrical Optics. Although it describes most of our daily experiences with light, there are many phenomena that ray optics does not adequately describe. Ray optics is concerned only with the location and direction of light rays. Ray optics permits us to determine conditions under which light is guided within a given medium, such as a glass fiber. In isotropic media, optical rays point in the direction of flow of Optical Energy.

Please select one of the resources below for demonstrations of Ray Optics:

• Single Lens (Flash)  
• Optical Beam Expander Diode Pumped Laser Cavity
Optical System Design v. 2.0 Cavity Stability using Ray Tracing
Form Based Optical System Design v. 2.0 Fiber - Modeled with slab dielectric
Mirrors Multiple Lens Ray Tracing