SimOptDevice: A library for virtual optical experiments

Abstract

Virtual experiments have become an indispensable tool for the design and the accuracy assessment of novel measurement procedures and instruments. Virtual experiments are particularly relevant in modern optics due to its challenging demands for highly accurate measurements. This paper introduces SimOptDevice, a flexible library for opto-mechanical virtual experiments. After describing the scope and general structure of the library, its underlying mathematical tools used for solving the related numerical tasks are described. Finally, the application of SimOptDevice to a recent interferometric measurement procedure is presented.