Programmatic Design and Architecture of an Immersive Laser Laboratory

Abstract

femtoPro provides an immersive laser laboratory experience for training, experimentation and analysis. In this paper, we present its programmatic design and architecture driven by requirements such as: accurate (non-)linear optics calculations, real-time performance on virtual reality (VR) headsets, easy authoring capabilities of pedagogical ''quests'', as well as natural user interactions and effective, multisensory feedback. We elaborate on how we tackle these challenges considering frontend components and the simulation backend. Notable features encompass an incremental, graph-based laser path solver algorithm with caching capabilities, a volumetric pulse shape renderer with accurately mapped color and transparency, an intuitive interaction system that translates coarse hand motions into precise adjustments, a comprehensive interface for configuring, conducting, and analyzing complex experiments with double precision accuracy including time-series measurements with moving platforms, and a generally flexible, modular architecture achieved through event-based communication, dynamic binding, and other state-of-the-art coding principles. Most of our proposed solutions should be directly applicable to similar immersive science laboratories, independently of their concrete domain.