Luus-Jaakola optimization procedure for multilayer optical coatings

Designing multilayer optical coatings is a difficult optimization problem because of the huge size of the search space. In the present paper, the Luus-Jaakola (LJ) optimization procedure, a new optimization algorithm, is employed to model multilayer optical coatings in the X-ray domain. With this algorithm it is not necessary to specify initially the number of layers present in a design. Only an upper limit needs to be defined. The algorithm has been used to maximize the reflectivity over a range of incident angles at a fixed wavelength, and over a wavelength range at a fixed incident angle. The results show that the LJ algorithm can be effectively applied to the design of multilayer optical coatings resulting in fewer layers than obtained using alternative optimization methods.