Service specification of BeamXpertDESIGNER

 

1. BeamXpertDESIGNER is a 3D real-time simulation software for laser beam propagation. The program simulates the propagation of the transverse expansion of laser beam profiles through optical systems consisting of lenses, mirrors, beam splitters and prisms. It allows the prediction of beam propagation parameters as defined in ISO standards 11145 and 11146. This includes, among others, the calculation of the laser beam diameter at any position in the optical system, the position and extension of laser beam spot sizes, divergence angles, Rayleigh lengths and the beam quality parameter M².

2. The expansion of laser beam profiles according to 1. is described by the so-called variance ellipse. A variance ellipse is characterized by the position of its center, the lengths of its two half-axes and its azimuth angle in a reference system. These quantities are directly linked to the first and second moments of the power density distribution in the corresponding reference plane. BeamXpertDESIGNER does not calculate the structure of power density distributions, but only their extension in the sense described above.

3. The simulation of the propagation of the laser radiation in BeamXpertDESIGNER is based on the so-called "beam" model:

a) the propagation of the beam axis (also off-axis) via classical raytracing, whereby the position of the variance ellipse is determined in each reference plane, and

b) the propagation of the second order moments of the Wigner distribution in a coordinate system moving with the beam axis. In order to differentiate between the literary second-order moments and a fixed coordinate system given by the optical system, these are called "second-order local moments". The use of the second order local moments permits a less strict application of the paraxial approximation, which enables considerably more accurate results for off-axis beams. This type of propagation is very well suited for low aberration, diffraction-free and approximately paraxial systems.

In optical systems with strong aberrations and strong diffraction (e.g. by apertures that cut the beam), the simulation results can deviate significantly from reality. It is the user's responsibility to check whether the optical system to be simulated falls within the scope of the software.

4. In addition to the "beam" model, BeamXpertDESIGNER can also simulate the propagation of laser radiation using so-called Gaussian-Schell-like beams ("ray" model). These beam bundles consist of a large number of geometrical-optical beams. The beam as a whole is imprinted with the beam propagation parameters of the radiation field which is to be simulated. The individual beams of the beam are propagated through the optical system by means of classical raytracing and the beam propagation parameters are determined from the beam at any reference surfaces. The influence of aberrations in the system can be concluded by comparing the results determined with the help of the "beam" model or by observing a possible change in the beam quality parameter M². This approach also applies only to diffraction-free systems with not too strong aberrations and it is the responsibility of the user to check whether the optical system to be simulated falls within the scope of application of the software.

5. BeamXpertDESIGNER is operated using a user interface inspired by CAD programs for mechanical design. All components can be selected and moved directly by mouse click, while the effects on the laser radiation according to 1. are displayed both visually and numerically.

6. BeamXpertDESIGNER allows the expert user to quickly analyze optical structures that use laser radiation. For example, the influence of aberrations can be determined, aspherical components can be optimized, laser radiation can be collimated and defined spot sizes (diameter and position in space) can be generated.

7. BeamXpertDESIGNER simulates the propagation of the laser beam profiles according to 1., which are defined by the user in the form of the properties of the laser beam sources within the software. The user is solely responsible for the acquisition of knowledge about the corresponding parameters of the laser beam source through e.g. measurement or calculation.

8. BeamXpertDESIGNER is delivered with an extensive glass database and a component database containing parameters such as geometry and material of the components of multiple optical manufacturers. These components can be integrated directly from the database into the simulation based on their names. BeamXpert GmbH is not responsible for the accuracy of the component data and their correspondence with the real components.

9. Users can define their own components as well as arrange different components and save them as independent components. The created setups can be saved and read in with BeamXpertDESIGNER. A proprietary data format is used for this purpose.

10. The consideration of polarization effects is in principle possible with both the "beam" and "ray" model, however, it is not implemented in the current version of BeamXpertDESIGNER.

11. The employment of BeamXpertDESIGNER does not guarantee the creation of functional optical structures for laser radiation. Nor can a far-reaching correspondence between simulation results and reality be guaranteed. The development process and its consequences are always fully in the hands of the BeamXpertDESIGNER user.

12. BeamXpertDESIGNER runs on all standard PCs under Microsoft® Windows® 7, 8, 10 and 11 (32 bit and 64 bit) with at least 1 GB free memory, a 32 bit (x86) or 64 bit (x64) processor with a clock frequency of at least 800 MHz and 100 MB free hard disk memory. Home, Professional and Enterprise versions are supported. A USB port (Type A socket with USB 2.0 or higher) is required for a copy protection dongle. BeamXpertDESIGNER uses the OpenGL® support of graphics chips (version 2.0 or higher). The utilization of a dedicated graphics card is generally unnecessary. For an even better display, UHD monitors are also supported (under suitable hardware). For the first installation it is recommended to use a CD/DVD drive that can read mini CDs.

13. BeamXpertDESIGNER is delivered on a mini CD together with a USB copy protection dongle. In order to run the software, the copy protection dongle must be used in a USB port (type A). After the delivery of the dongle the activation of the dongle is necessary once with the help of an activation code. The activation code will be sent to the purchasing party by e-mail after the purchase process. BeamXpertDESIGNER is delivered with a help file, which is constantly improved. The delivery of a printed manual and the publication of the manual as a PDF file on the website of BeamXpert GmbH are planned, but currently not an integral part of the contract.