Fourier Optics in the Classroom

Borrowing methods and formulas from Prof. Goodman's classic Introduction to Fourier Optics textbook [1], I have developed a software package [2] that has been used in both industrial research and classroom teaching [3]. This paper briefly describes a few optical system simulations that have been used over the past 30 years to convey the power and the beauty of Fourier Optics to our students at the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences.