LightPipes: software for education in coherent optics

Abstract

LightPipes is a portable set of software tools, designed to model the propagation of coherent light in optical systems using a numerical approximations of the scalar theory of diffraction. Models of interferometers, laser resonators, waveguides, holographic setups and many more can be easily built using the components of the package. The command-line shell-based version of the toolbox written originally in C works under Unix, MSDOS and MAC OS. The toolbox also exists as a stand-alone program written in C++, which can be compiled virtually under any existing operational system. A MathCad port of LightPipes provides an extended user interface and full compatibility with the MathCad environment, the Java port allows for running the package over the net using the Netscape web browser.