Ray-tracing method for isotropic inhomogeneous refractive-index media from arbitrary discrete input

We have developed a ray-tracing simulation procedure for optically isotropic gradient refractive-index media. The procedure can take discrete points of arbitrary distribution for the definition of refractive-index distributions and lens surfaces. It is useful for simulating ray trajectories in real lens systems. The procedure is applied to a ray-tracing simulation of the Luneburg lens and a radial gradient optical fiber. The simulation results are compared with the analytical solutions, and it is shown that they are in precise agreement.