Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2025

Author Spotlight: Fabrication of a Low-Cost, Fiber-Coupled, and Air-Spaced Fabry-Pérot Etalon
Published on: February 3, 2023
Mathematical model for inverse freeform design of a point-to-point two-reflector system
Abstract:
In this paper, we discuss a mathematical model for inverse freeform design of an optical system with two reflectors in which light transfers from a point source to a point target. In this model, the angular light intensity emitted from the point source and illuminance arriving at the point target are specified by distributions. To determine the optical mapping and the shape of the reflectors, we use the optical path length and take energy conservation into account, through which we obtain a generated Jacobian equation. We express the system in both spherical and stereographic coordinates, and solve it using a sophisticated least-squares algorithm. Several examples illustrate the algorithm's capabilities to tackle complicated light distributions.
Related Concept Videos
Bewley Lattice Diagram
Two-Dimensional Force System: Problem Solving
The first step to solving a two-dimensional force system problem is to draw a free-body diagram of the object under consideration. This diagram helps identify all the external forces acting on the object, including their...
Two-Dimensional Force System
Centroid for the Paraboloid of Revolution
The centroid for the paraboloid of revolution is the point where all the mass of the paraboloid is concentrated. This centroid is important for engineering applications, as it determines how forces are...
Deflection of a Beam
Singularity functions, described in an earlier lesson, are powerful mathematical tools that represent discontinuities within a function commonly encountered in structural loading...
Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling

