Efficient semi-analytical propagation techniques for electromagnetic fields.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Computational Electromagnetics

Background:

• Accurate simulation of light propagation is crucial in various optical applications.
• Existing methods for light propagation simulation can be computationally intensive, particularly for nonparaxial fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce four novel, fast, and rigorous methods for simulating light propagation in homogeneous media.
• To enhance the efficiency of the angular spectrum of plane waves (SPW) method by analytically handling phase terms.

Main Methods:

• Reformulation of the angular spectrum of plane waves (SPW) operator to incorporate linear, spherical, and general smooth phase terms.
• Development of four distinct simulation techniques based on the reformulated SPW operator.
• Application of fast-Fourier-transformation algorithms without limitations.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated significant reduction in computational effort through analytical handling of phase terms.
• Achieved substantial decrease in the required number of sampling points, particularly for nonparaxial field propagation.
• Validated the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methods via numerical simulations.

Conclusions:

• The presented methods offer a computationally efficient and accurate approach for simulating light propagation.
• These techniques are particularly beneficial for nonparaxial propagation scenarios, reducing computational load.
• The analytical treatment of phase terms within the SPW framework represents a significant advancement in optical simulation.