Spectrum of classes of point emitters: new tool for nonparaxial optical field modeling

Numerical modeling of optical fields provides valuable support to both theoretical research and technological development in many optics fields. Fourier methods have been the most widely used tools of numerical modeling. However, important limitations have restricted their application in contemporary research that involve high numerical apertures, short propagation distances, and spatially partially coherent states of light, for instance. The spectrum of classes of point emitters is introduced as a numerical tool that overcomes such limitations for the design, analysis, and synthesis of nonparaxial optical fields in arbitrary states of spatial coherence. In this context, optical processing is realized as the filtering on the spectrum of classes of point emitters performed by the complex degree of spatial coherence that could be implemented dynamically by using programmable devices.