Open the file "Samples > Non-sequential > Miscellaneous > Voxel detector for flash lamp pumping.zmx".

In the pure non-sequential examples that we have been looking at so far, the detectors we have been using are Detector Rectangle objects. These are flat surface detectors. ZEMAX can also model more complex detectors such as curved surface detectors as well as volumetric detectors.

This example demonstrates the use of the Detector Volume object in a simple laser flash pump model. The cavity is modeled using one toroidal mirror at each end (objects 3 and 4). Near each mirror is a Source Tube emitting rays (objects 1 and 2). In the middle of the cavity is a Cylinder Volume object (object 6) which simulates a laser crystal.
Notice also that there is also a Detector Volume (object 5) overlapping the Cylinder Volume object.



The Detector Volume object is a rectangular volume consisting of three-dimension pixels called voxels. ZEMAX can record the incident flux on each voxel. In addition, if the Detector Volume is overlapped with another volume object for which transmission data has been defined, ZEMAX can record the absorbed flux for each voxel in the Detector Volume. In this case, the overlapping Cylinder Volume is comprised of BK7 for which transmission data has been defined in the Glass Catalog dialog. (You can access the Glass Catalog dialog via the main menu option, "Tools > Catalogs > Glass Catalogs" or use the "Gla" button in the button bar.)

Click anywhere on the row corresponding to object 5 in the Non-Sequential Component Editor and scroll to the right to observe the parameters of the Detector Volume. Observe that there are 101 pixels in X and Y and 25 pixels in Z.



Take a look at the open Detector Viewer and notice that it is showing the Absorbed Flux within the Detector Volume. Also notice that there is a "Z Plane" listed at the bottom of the Detector Volume. The Detector Viewer can only display detector data two-dimensionally. As such, you can only look at one plane or "slice" of voxels within the Detector Volume at a time. The Z Plane setting allows you to tell ZEMAX for which Z pixel (in this case, from 1 to 25), you wish to see the correspond X and Y pixels.



You can change the Z Plane in the settings for the Detector Viewer or simply use the left or right arrows on the keyboard to scroll through the Z Planes.



TIP:  Many object types can be turned into detectors in ZEMAX. This allows you to easily model complex surface/shell detectors.