Light propagation analysis using a translated plane angular spectrum method with the oblique plane wave incidence.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Computational Electromagnetics

Background:

• Accurate numerical analysis of light propagation is crucial for optical system design.
• Existing angular spectrum methods face limitations with off-axis propagation and arbitrary tilt angles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel angular spectrum method for analyzing off-axis free-space light propagation.
• To generalize light propagation formulation for arbitrary tilt angles and sampling intervals.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a shifted angular spectrum method based on an oblique incident plane wave assumption.
• Developed a generalized light propagation formulation.
• Performed numerical comparisons with prior methods for diffractive optics and computer-generated holograms.

Main Results:

• The novel method successfully analyzes off-axis light propagation at arbitrary angles.
• The generalized formulation overcomes limitations of prior methods regarding tilt angles and sampling intervals.
• Numerical simulations demonstrate superior performance for diffractive optics and holography.

Conclusions:

• The proposed angular spectrum method provides a robust and versatile tool for optical propagation analysis.
• Experimental validation using digital holography confirms the method's accuracy and practical applicability.