Towards automatic freeform optics design: coarse and fine search of the three-mirror solution space

Design of an optical system, whether classic or novel, in the past or the present, requires significant effort from the designer. In addition to design methods and theories, the designer's skills and experience in optical system design are particularly important, which may require years of practice to learn. The diversity and variety of results are limited because of the difficulty, time, and labor costs required. In this article, we propose an automatic design method for freeform optics that can achieve a diverse range of three-mirror designs. The optical specifications and the design constraints are the only inputs required, and a variety of results can be obtained automatically. The output results have various structures and various optical power distributions with high imaging qualities. By implementing the design method, designers can not only realize an overview of the solution space of the three-mirror freeform system, but can also focus on specific designs.

Automated summary

Designing an optical system requires significant effort, with skills and experience in optical system design being crucial. A new automatic design method has been proposed to achieve a diverse range of results, helping designers to focus on specific designs and understand the solution space of the system.