KAOS IDL Optics demonstration programs
The following programs and tar archives are available for simulation of
various optics phenomena using IDL, an excellent signal and image
processing and visualization package from
Research systems Inc.
Poincare sphere animator (Collin Olson)
Widgetized tool that allows a sequence of waveplates, polarizers and mirrors
to be stacked up and the state of polarization is illustrated on the
Poincare sphere as a monochromatic perfectly wave propagates through
the system.
You should make the unpacked directories part of your IDL path
which can be done with an idl startup file.
click here for an editable file.
Paths can also be configured with .cshrc commands
setenv IDL_DIR /usr/local/idl
setenv IDL_PATH ~/lib/idl:~yourdirhere:+/usr/local/idl/lib
setenv IDL_STARTUP ~/lib/idl/startup.pro
To launch the program, just cd into your directory where
you unpacked the TAR (make sure your IDL paths are set correctly,
launch IDL (eg type idl at the prompt),
then type poincare.
Still todo: rotating waveplates, dielectric interfaces, polychromatic light.
Widgetized Poincare spere illustrator tar file
Geometrical Optics ABCD raytracer (Justin Chickles)
ABCD raytracer with lens tilts and decentering too.
Allows the graphical layout of a simple lens system
containing
thin lenses,
thick lenses,
graded index media (very slow),
prisms,
and apertures.
This file contains all the
necessary modules. Save in your IDLDIR as RayTracer.pro.
To run: launch idl, type
.r RayTracer
RayTracer
RayTracer
Free space beam propagation from apertures and arrays (Ken Anderson)
Widgetized scalar beam propagation program with configurable
computational grids and apertures and arrays of apertures.
download the tar file and unpack it.
launch idl.
type bp.
Beam Propagation tar file
IDL Instructions at CU
Contact at CU
Karin Berglund
sitelic@rastro.Colorado.EDU
Contact at RSI
Donna Carr
University Account Manager
Research Systems, Inc.
2995 Wilderness Place
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone:303.413.3915
Fax:303.786.9909
Linux
You can ftp the linux IDL 5.0.3 from the anonymous ftp site
boulder.colorado.edu.
Go to
pub/idl/unix/linux and get the text file
README.TXT and
README_LINUX.TXT (hmmm doesnt seem to be there?) to see if you think you
can install it. There are scripts that install for you once you unzip the
binary.gz files.
RSI offers CU a free site license for Unix machines.
The rules are your host must have a host name in
the domain of colorado.edu. There is no cost for this.
Click here for more information.
PCs - both windows and NT
Go to Karin Berglund's office at the Computing Center
located on the corner of Arapahoe and Marine St. (3645 Marine) and buy
the Windows or NT version with the hardware key.
Payment must be a check written out to
Research Systems, Inc. Cost is $32.22 which includes tax on the $30
license fee.
Borrow the CD to install onto your system.
MACs
Go to Karin Berglund's office and buy the key and borrow the CD.
Licenses at CU
All versions need a license key.
The linux key is obtained by emailing
the info listed on the web page to use
with an automated
license key generator to give you a key within minutes.
The PC key comes
via a request from RSI with a 1 day delay
These programs have been written by Prof. Wagner
and his students.