Efficient scattering model of multilayer systems with anisotropic films.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Accurate modeling of light propagation in layered media is crucial for optical devices.
• Existing methods can be computationally intensive or lack stability with complex structures.
• Anisotropic and isotropic layered materials are common in advanced optical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an intuitive and efficient method for modeling light propagation in layered media.
• To develop a numerically stable and computationally efficient algorithm for optical analysis.
• To demonstrate the method's utility in characterizing thin-film optical properties.

Main Methods:

• The Iterated Ray Method (IRM) models light propagation by summing infinite reflected and transmitted rays.
• A recursive algorithm extends the model to arbitrarily large layered systems.
• The method incorporates effective Fresnel coefficients for simplified layer representation.

Main Results:

• The Iterated Ray Method is numerically stable, even with evanescent waves.
• The method is computationally efficient in terms of operations and vectorization.
• Accurate refractive index and thickness of a photo-alignment layer (PAAD-22E) were measured.

Conclusions:

• The Iterated Ray Method provides an efficient and stable approach for optical analysis of layered media.
• This method is valuable for optimizing devices like liquid crystal cells, thin-film coatings, and Bragg gratings.
• The demonstrated application highlights the IRM's practical significance in materials characterization.