Optical interference coatings design contest 2004

A manufacturable, broadband, broad-angle antireflection (AR) coating for the visible (13 designs submitted) and a minimum-shift immersed short-pass filter (12 designs submitted) were the subjects of the design contest held in conjunction with the 2004 Optical Interference Coatings topical meeting of the Optical Society of America. Under the specified constraints, the broadband, broad-angle AR coating could be made more than 65 nm wide. The statistical stability of manufacturing simulations is discussed. The short-pass filter could operate up to a +/- 5.5 degree angular range. The submitted designs are described and evaluated.