ABSTRACT
In this chapter, a new method of handling paraxial geometric optics is introduced. All phenomena of reflection from planar or spherical surfaces and refraction through single or multiple surfaces can be treated via matrix optics. The treatment extends to the propagation of light through thick and thin lenses as well. This is possible because the equations that describe any of these processes are linear. As will be demonstrated in the sections that follow, the ray parameters are represented by a column of two rows, basically a 2 × 1 matrix for each of the input and output rays. The resulting matrices for the input and output rays are called input and output vectors, respectively. The optical operator can be as simple as a mere translation of the light between two points, or as complex as multiple surface refractions, which can be represented by a 2 × 2 matrix. Several cases are treated: (a) simple translation, (b) single-surface refraction, (c) thick and thin lens two-surface refraction, and (d) compound systems comprised of two or more lenses and translation. The treatments will demonstrate the relative ease in calculations and convenience that matrix optics offers over the use of lens equations for complex optical systems.
