We present preliminary results from an analysis of irradiance patterns from integrating rods. A new metric is proposed to provide a more rigorous characterization of homogeneity as compared to the current ANSI standard for illumination and brightness of rectangular integrating rods used in the projector and display industry. This new metric is used in a computational ray-trace analysis to compare the relative homogenizing efficiency of integrating rods as a function of the polygon order of the cross section. Our analysis is performed for an ideal surface-emitting disk in order to yield general insight into the workings of integrating rods for common light sources, and a for full radiometric source model based on measurements of a reflectorized 100W Hg arc lamp. Simulation results indicate that a high degree of homogenization can be achieved for integrating rods with cross sections of polygon order equal to or less than 10. These results refute the commonly held belief that only integrating rods with tileable cross-sectional shapes are effective homogenizers. These results are particularly significant for optical applications in the materials processing industry.
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