Simultaneous multiple surface optical design method in three dimensions

The simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) method in 3-D geometry is presented. Given two orthotomic input ray bundles and another two orthotomic output ray bundles, the method provides an optical system with two free-form surfaces that deflects the rays of the input bundles into the rays of the corresponding output bundles and vice versa. In nonimaging applications, the method enables controlling the light emitted by an extended light source much better than single free-form-surface designs, and also enables the optics contour to be shaped without efficiency losses. The method is also expected to find applications in imaging optics.