Where to Buy Thin-film Design Software

• Can one conveniently define arbitrary sequences of layers?
• Can one parametrize such layer sequences – e.g., in order to easily implement systematic variations of layer thickness or refractive index?
• Can new materials with arbitrary chromatic dispersion be defined, e.g. using a Sellmeier formula?
• Can active media (i.e., with laser gain) be treated?
• Can it compute all properties of interest – for example, amplitudes and phases of transmitted and reflected light, chromatic dispersion for transmitted and reflected light, field distributions in the structure, etc.?
• Is it possible to generate arbitrary plots in order to visualize all relevant properties?
• Does it offer a script language with which one can control various aspects, e.g. mathematically process input and output data?
• Can it optimize a structure such that an arbitrarily defined figure-of-merit function is minimized?
• Can it import data from a spectrometer, e.g. in order to display measured and computed reflectivity curves together?
• Can it produce output files for controlling a coating machine?
• Does it come with proper documentation and a comprehensive online help system?
• Is competent technical support available?

Note that the software RP Coating from RP Photonics would fulfill these demands.