The STAR Tab



Ansys Zemax OpticStudio Enterprise features the STAR tab that contains tools and analyses to perform Structural, Thermal, and Optical Performance (STOP) and Multiphysics analysis within OpticStudio.

The STAR tab in Ansys Zemax OpticStudio Enterprise enables several multiphysics workflows in which different types of multiphysics datatypes can be imported. You may load finite element analysis (FEA) or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) datasets of surface deformations, stress, temperatures, refractive index (Direct Index). The FEA/CFD files can be used in sequential OpticStudio designs and utilize all sequential analyses, tolerancing, and optimization tools to compensate for the effects of the FEA/CFD data. STAR tools easily integrate into existing workflows and are built around three design principles: accuracy, ease of use, and being platform agnostic. STAR tools accept different types of FEA/CFD data from any platform in two different categories:

Surface Deformation Data:

FEA data that reflects structural changes to the optical surfaces. A 2D-fit is performed using a piecewise B-spline fit with multiple levels of refinement, and the calculated surface deformations are added to the surface sag of optical surfaces.

Volumetric Data:

3D FEA/CFD data that changes the optical properties of refractive optical components. Three types of Volumetric Data are considered:

  • Temperatures –STAR performs a 3D-fit of the thermal FEA/CFD data and calculates the index of refraction for the specified temperature, material, and wavelength.

  • Direct Index –Volumetric datasets of refractive index. STAR performs a 3D-fit of the refractive index data and uses this data for ray tracing and analyses.

  • Stress – Volumetric datasets of stress tensor, for stress birefringence calculations. STAR performs a 3D-fit on each component of the FEA stress tensor and uses this data to calculate the changes in the index ellipsoid during ray tracing.

FEA/CFD datasets from each category can be loaded into OpticStudio via STAR in different combinations. With these datatypes, STAR tools can be used for a wide variety of applications such as:

  • Quantifying impact of structural loads on optical performance due to optical mounts (surface deformations)

  • Analyzing the effects of thermal lensing (temperature)

  • Modeling system with optical beams traveling through turbulent fluids (direct index)

  • Mechanical mounts in a temperature variable environment at high speeds (structural + temperature + direct index)

  • Quantifying impact of stress generated by structural or thermal loads on optical components (stress birefringence)
  • Analyzing the effect of residual stress and surface deformations from manufacturing processes, such as injection-molding, diamond turning, precision glass molding or grinding/polishing (surface deformations + stress birefringence)

To start, load FEA/CFD datasets into OpticStudio using the Multiphysics Data Loader tool and assign them to surfaces. An algorithm will then fit each dataset to its assigned surface in OpticStudio using a numeric fitting process. Once loaded and fitted, the Fit Assessment tool allows for the fit settings to be adjusted. The rest of the STAR features can be used to view the FEA/CFD data and analyze its effect on your optical system. In addition, all OpticStudio sequential analyses can be used to quantify the impact on optical performance. The full functionality of the STAR tools can also be accessed using the OpticStudio API (ZOS-API).

Ansys Zemax OpticStudio Enterprise License Required

To use the tools inside the STAR tab, you must have an Ansys Zemax OpticStudio Enterprise-level license.

Saving files with FEA/CFD datasets

Once a FEA/CFD dataset is loaded and assigned to an optical surface, the fitted data and settings used are kept in a .zst file that is used to analyze the impact on the optical results. These files are saved in <Objects>\STOP Files.

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