Abstract

The behavior of orthotomic systems of rays, rays associated with a system of wavefronts, is analyzed from the point of view of classical geometrical optics. The rays themselves are described in terms of the ray equation derived from Fermat’s principle. A condition for an aggregate of rays to comprise an orthotomic system is found. Some consequences of this condition on the geometric properties of wavefronts are found. The resemblance of some of these to the Maxwell equations is noted.

© 1971 Optical Society of America

Quasi-Geometric Optics of Media with Inhomogeneous Index of Refraction*

George Eichmann
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 61(2) 161-168 (1971)

Analytic Solution of Ray Equations in Cylindrically Inhomogeneous Guiding Media. 1: Meridional Rays

W. Streifer and K. B. Paxton
Appl. Opt. 10(4) 769-775 (1971)

Analytic Solution of Ray Equations in Cylindrically Inhomogeneous Guiding Media. Part 2: Skew Rays

K. B. Paxton and W. Streifer
Appl. Opt. 10(5) 1164-1171 (1971)

Ray-tracing method for isotropic inhomogeneous refractive-index media from arbitrary discrete input

Yohei Nishidate, Takashi Nagata, Shin-ya Morita, and Yutaka Yamagata
Appl. Opt. 50(26) 5192-5199 (2011)

Simpler derivation of the formulas for generalized ray tracing

Orestes N. Stavroudis
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 66(12) 1330-1333 (1976)