Ray selection for optimization of rotationally symmetric systems

Efficient performance assessment is essential during the design of systems involving complex aspheres. We present new classes of pupil sampling schemes that, with a reduced number of rays, yield accurate estimates of the RMS wavefront aberration over a circular pupil. It turns out that the number of samples in the pupil can be reduced by a factor of about 0.7, and these ideas can also be expected to lead to a similar additional reduction factor when averaging over the field and color. Beyond that, analysis of a patented lens system is used to establish the path to further significant reductions.