Accuracy of the multilayer Born approximation in transmission and reflection

Area of Science:

• Computational electromagnetics
• Optical imaging physics

Background:

• Simulating light scattering from large dielectric objects is computationally intensive, hindering quantitative imaging.
• Existing approximate models often struggle with backward scattered field calculations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of the multilayer Born (MLB) approximation for simulating backward light scattering.
• To determine the operational domain (object size, permittivity contrast) where MLB provides accurate results.
• To compare MLB's performance against rigorous Maxwell solvers and other approximate methods.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of multilayer Born (MLB) approximation results with a rigorous Maxwell equation solver.
• Definition of object size and permittivity contrast ranges for accurate MLB application.

Main Results:

• The multilayer Born (MLB) approximation demonstrates high accuracy for backward light scattering simulations within a defined domain.
• MLB shows superior performance compared to most existing approximate methods for backward scattering.
• A specific domain of object size and permittivity contrast is identified for reliable MLB usage.

Conclusions:

• The multilayer Born (MLB) approximation is a viable and accurate method for simulating backward light scattering.
• MLB offers a significant computational advantage over rigorous solvers for specific quantitative imaging scenarios.
• This study establishes the accuracy and domain of applicability for the MLB approximation in electromagnetic scattering problems.