Table of Ray Transfer Matrices
for simple optical components
| Element | Matrix | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Propagation in free space or in a medium of constant refractive index | d = distance |
|
| Refraction at a flat interface | n1 = initial refractive index n2 = final refractive index. |
|
| Refraction at a curved interface | R = radius of curvature, R > 0 for convex (centre of curvature after interface) n1 = initial refractive index |
|
| Reflection from a flat mirror | ||
| Reflection from a curved mirror | R = radius of curvature, R > 0 for concave | |
| Thin lens | f = focal length of lens where f > 0 for convex/positive (converging) lens.
Only valid if the focal length is much greater than the thickness of the lens. |
|
| Thick lens | n1 = refractive index outside of the lens. n2 = refractive index of the lens itself (inside the lens). |
|
| Single right angle prism | k = (cos/cos) is the beam expansion factor, where is the angle of incidence, is the angle of refraction, d = prism path length, n = refractive index of the prism material. This matrix applies for orthogonal beam exit. |
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