Rigorous vector wave propagation for arbitrary flat media [CL]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1811.09777


Precise modelling of the (off-axis) point spread function (PSF) to identify geometrical and polarization aberrations is important for many optical systems. In order to characterise the PSF of the system in all Stokes parameters, an end-to-end simulation of the system has to be performed in which Maxwells equations are rigorously solved. We present the first results of a python code that we are developing to perform multiscale end-to-end wave propagation simulations that include all relevant physics. Currently we can handle plane-parallel near- and far-field vector diffraction effects of propagating waves in homogeneous isotropic and anisotropic materials, refraction and reflection of flat parallel surfaces, interference effects in thin films and unpolarized light. We show that the code has a numerical precision on the order of 1E-16 for non-absorbing isotropic and anisotropic materials. For absorbing materials the precision is on the order of 1E-8. The capabilities of the code are demonstrated by simulating a converging beam reflecting from a flat aluminium mirror at normal incidence.

Read this paper on arXiv…

S. Bos, S. Haffert and C. Keller
Tue, 27 Nov 18
15/74

Comments: 19 pages, 10 figures, presented at SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2017, San Diego, California, United States