New automatic design technique for optical coatings.

A new automatic design method for optical thin-film systems is presented in which the effect of the errors in monitoring the optical multilayer coatings on the performance is considered. The merit function in the design involves both the optical properties and the calculated yield of finished products of the multilayer coatings. The highest yield of finished products is taken as an end optimization goal. The thin-film systems designed by this method not only satisfy the desired optical properties but also have larger manufacturing tolerances. Some examples of designs of broadband and double-band antireflection coatings are given.