A research on novel direct vector method for ray tracing

作者：Feng, Shipeng^*; Li, Dongxu

来源：Optik, 2013, 124(23): 6377-6381.

DOI：10.1016/j.ijleo.2013.05.021

• Ray tracing
• Direct vector method
• Matrix method
• Quaternion method

Ray tracing is the foundation of optical system design and analysis. Matrix method is one of the classical methods for ray tracing, while quaternion method gradually becomes an important means to trace ray. However the expression forms of ray are so complex that matrix method and quaternion method are hard to be applied in ray tracing in complicated optical system. In this work, a ray tracing method which uses space vector to describe beams in three-dimensional space directly is demonstrated. First, rotation transformation formula for space vector is derived, then, the direct vector formulae for optical laws are set up. At last, in a ray-tracing example of universal 3D optical system, the direct vector method is much clearer and simpler, comparing with the quaternion method and matrix method. What's more, it is proved that through a complex derivation the quaternion method can be translated into the direct vector method finally.

• 出版日期2013
• 单位中国人民解放军国防科学技术大学