Forward scattering of a Gaussian beam by a nonabsorbing sphere

The forward scattering of a Gaussian laser beam by a spherical particle located along the beam axis is analyzed with the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT) and with diffraction theory. Forwardscattering and near-forward-scattering profiles from electrodynamically levitated droplets, 51.6 μm in diameter, are also presented and compared with GLMT-based predictions. The total intensity in the forward direction, formed by the superposition of the incident and the scattered fields, is found to correlate with the particle-extinction cross section, the particle diameter, and the beam width. Based on comparison with the GLMT, the diffraction solution is accurate when beam widths that are approximately greater than or equal to the particle diameter are considered and when large particles that have an extinction efficiency near the asymptotic value of 2 are considered. However, diffraction fails to describe the forward intensity for more tightly focused beams. The experimental observations, which are in good agreement with GLMT-based predictions, reveal that the total intensity profile about the forward direction is quite sensitive to particle axial position within a Gaussian beam. These finite beam effects are significant when the ratio of the beam to the particle diameter is less than approximately 5:1. For larger beam-to-particle-diameter ratios, the total field in the forward direction is dominated by the incident beam.     

Debye series for Gaussian beam scattering by a multilayered sphere

The Debye series has been a key tool for the understanding of light scattering features, and it is also a convenient method for understanding and improving the design of optical instruments aimed at optical particle sizing. Gouesbet has derived the Debye series formulation for generalized Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT). However, the scattering object is a homogeneous sphere, and no numerical result is provided. The Debye series formula for plane-wave scattering by multilayered spheres has been derived before. We have devoted our work to the Debye series of Gaussian beam scattering by multilayered spheres. The integral localized approximation is employed in the calculation of beam-shape coefficients (BSCs) and allows the study of the scattering characteristics of particles illuminated by the strongly focused beams. The formula and code are verified by the comparison with the results produced by GLMT and also by the comparison with the result for the case of plane-wave incidence. The formula is also employed in the simulation of the first rainbow by illuminating the particle with one or several narrow beams.     

Light scattering by a coated sphere illuminated with a Gaussian beam

The intensity of light scattered by a coated sphere illuminated with an off-axis Gaussian beam is calculated. Results are shown for different beam positions with respect to the sphere. As the beam is shifted further away from the surface of the sphere, the higher-Q morphology-dependent resonances become increasingly important in the backscatter spectra, and the angular scattering intensity becomes smoother.

The scattered intensity depends on the beam position, the refractive indices of the core and coat, the radius of the core, and the thickness of the coat. As the beam is moved further away from the sphere, the effect of the core on the scattering intensity decreases. When the incident Gaussian beam is focused outside of a particle with a relatively small core, the scattering spectra and angular scattering patterns become similar to those of a homogeneous sphere having the refractive index of the coat. These calculated results suggest that measurements of spectral scattering and angular scattering patterns for several Gaussian beam positions could be useful for the characterization of coated spheres.

     

Phase retrieval from experimental far-field intensities by use of a Gaussian beam

The noniterative phase-retrieval method by use of Gaussian filtering is applied to the reconstruction of phase objects from experimental far-field intensities. In this method, the complex amplitude of transmitted light through an object is reconstructed from three far-field intensities, which are measured with the modulation of the object by laterally shifted and unshifted Gaussian filters. In the experiment, the amplitude of a Gaussian beam illuminating objects is utilized as a Gaussian filter, and, as the phase objects, a converging lens with a small exit pupil and a plastic fiber immersed in optical adhesive are used. The experimental results show that the Gaussian beam of a laser is capable of retrieving the phases of those objects with the accuracy of the range from approximately 1/10 to 1/4 of the laser's wavelength.     

Electromagnetic scattering from a multilayered sphere located in an arbitrary beam

A solution is given for the problem of scattering of an arbitrary shaped beam by a multilayered sphere. Starting from Bromwich potentials and using the appropriate boundary conditions, we give expressions for the external and the internal fields. It is shown that the scattering coefficients can be generated from those established for a plane-wave illumination. Some numerical results that describe the scattering patterns and the radiation-pressure behavior when an incident Gaussian beam or a plane wave impinges on a multilayered sphere are presented.     

Temperature distribution in a uniform medium heated by linear absorption of a Gaussian light beam

The linear-diffusion equation is considered for a positive half-space with heat sources represented by Gaussian functions in the transverse plane and by exponential decay along the longitudinal axis. The exact solution is presented as a single quadrature of the complementary error function (erfc). The approximate solution is suggested in the form of the product of two Gaussian functions and the hyperbolic secant function. Comparison with the exact solution shows that the error of this approximation is near 10%. The approximation may be used in different medical applications, e.g., laser angioplasty.     

Electromagnetic field calculations for a sphere illuminated by a higher-order Gaussian beam. II. Far-field scattering

A previously developed theoretical procedure for determination of electromagnetic fields associated with the interaction of a higher-order Gaussian beam with a homogeneous spherical particle is used to investigate the effects of incident beam type on far-field scattering. Far-field scattering patterns are calculated for (0,0), (0,1), and (1,1) mode Hermite-Gaussian beams and for the helix doughnut mode beam. The effects of incident beam type on the angular distribution of far-field scattering, for both on-sphere-center and off-sphere-center focusing, are examined.     

Generalized Lorenz-Mie theory for an arbitrarily oriented, located, and shaped beam scattered by a homogeneous spheroid

The theory of an arbitrarily oriented, shaped, and located beam scattered by a homogeneous spheroid is developed within the framework of the generalized Lorenz-Mie theory (GLMT). The incident beam is expanded in terms of the spheroidal vector wave functions and described by a set of beam shape coefficients (G(m)(n),(TM),G(m)(n),(TE)). Analytical expressions of the far-field scattering and extinction cross sections are derived. As two special cases, plane wave scattering by a spheroid and shaped beam scattered by a sphere can be recovered from the present theory, which is verified both theoretically and numerically. Calculations of the far-field scattering and cross sections are performed to study the shaped beam scattered by a spheroid, which can be prolate or oblate, transparent or absorbing.     

Electromagnetic-field calculations for a sphere illuminated by a higher-order Gaussian beam. I. Internal and near-field effects

A theoretical procedure has been developed for the determination of internal and external electromagnetic fields that result from the interaction of a higher-order Gaussian beam with a homogeneous sphere. Specific calculations are performed for (1, 0), (0, 1), and (1, 1) mode Hermite-Gaussian beams and for doughnut mode beams of four different polarizations (radial, angular, arced, and helix). The effects of incident beam type on resonance excitation, and on the spatial distribution of the internal and near-surface electromagnetic fields, are examined.     

Extinction paradox and actual power scattered in light beam scattering: a two-dimensional study

The extinction paradox is examined by applying partial-wave analysis to a two-dimensional light beam interacting with a long transverse cylinder without absorption, assuming always short wavelengths. We show that the (conventional) power scattered, Psca, except for a very narrow beam hitting a transparent cylinder on axis, is always double the power directly intercepted by the scatterer, Pitc, including a zero result for Psca when the incident beam is basically off the material surface. This contradicts the interpretation that attributes one half of Psca to edge diffraction by the scatterer. Furthermore, we identify the shadow-forming wave (SFW) from the partial-wave sum in the forward direction and show that the actual power scattered or, equivalently, the power depleted from the incident beam is equal to one unit of Pitc for a narrow beam, gets larger for a broader beam, and approaches 2Pitc for a very broad beam. The larger value in the latter cases is due to the extent of divergence of the SFW beam out of the incident beam at distances well beyond the Rayleigh range.     

Provision of exact formulations for the "forward scattering of a Gaussian beam by a nonabsorbing sphere": comment

The purpose of an earlier publication [Appl. Opt. 34, 2120 (1995)], to provide an exact formulation of the scattering of beamlike radiation fields from spheres, is clarified and its relation to the treatment of this subject in two more recent publications is described. Also, an error in the reference list in the earlier publication is rectified.     

Diffraction of a Gaussian beam by a logarithmic axicon

We derive an explicit analytical relationship to describe the axial light intensity when a Gaussian beam is diffracted by the logarithmic axicon (LA). An evaluation formula for the effective radius of the diffraction pattern that we deduce shows the said radius to be in inverse proportion to the LA "force" parameter. The finite-difference time-domain-based simulation has shown that using the LA makes it possible to go beyond the diffraction limit: in the LA vicinity, the FWHM of the light beam can be as small as one fifth of the illumination wavelength.     

Characterization of random rough surfaces from scattered intensities by neural networks

Abstract

Optical scatterometry, a non-invasive characterization method, is used to infer the statistical properties of random rough surfaces. The Gaussian model with rms-roughness [sgrave] and correlation length σ is considered in this paper but the employed technique is applicable to any representation of random rough surfaces. Surfaces with wide ranges of Λ and σ, up to 5 wavelengths (λ), are characterized with neural networks. Two models are used: self-organizing map (SOM) for rough classification and multi-layer perceptron (MLP) for quantitative estimation with nonlinear regression. Models infer Λ and σ from scattering, thus involving the inverse problem. The intensities are calculated with the exact electromagnetic theory, which enables a wide range of parameters. The most widely known neural network model in practise is SOM, which we use to organize samples into discrete classes with resolution ΔΛ = Δσ = 0.5λ. The more advanced MLP model is trained for optimal behaviour by providing it with known parts of input (scattering) and output (surface parameters). We show that a small amount of data is sufficient for an excellent accuracy on the order of 0.3λ and 0.15λ for estimating Λ and σ, respectively.     

Intensity distribution of light scattered by a turbulent jet flow

Results are presented of a computation of the farzone distribution of the intensity of radiation scattered by a turbulent nonisothermal air jet.Translated from Inzhenerno-Fizicheskii Zhurnal, Vol. 60, No. 1, pp. 95–98, January, 1991.     

Scattering of a Hermite-Gaussian beam field by a chiral sphere.

Scattering of a Hermite-Gaussian beam field by a chiral sphere is analyzed. A Hermite-Gaussian beam field is expressed as a superposition of multipole fields at complex-source points. Electromagnetic fields are expanded in terms of the spherical vector wave functions. The unknown expansion coefficients for the scattered field and the internal field are determined by the boundary conditions. As numerical examples, the scattered near fields of the beam incidence are calculated, and the effects of the chirality and the radius of the chiral sphere on the fields are examined. The results for a Gaussian beam incidence are also compared with those of a plane-wave incidence.     

Debye series for light scattering by a multilayered sphere

We have derived the formula for the Debye-series decomposition for light scattering by a multilayered sphere. This formulism permits the mechanism of light scattering to be studied. An efficient algorithm is introduced that permits stable calculation for a large sphere with many layers. The formation of triple first-order rainbows by a three-layered sphere and single-order rainbows and the interference of different-order rainbows by a sphere with a gradient refractive index, are then studied by use of the Debye model and Mie calculation. The possibility of taking only one single mode or several modes for each layer is shown to be useful in the study of the scattering characteristics of a multilayered sphere and in the measurement of the sizes and refractive indices of particles.     

Off-axis scattering of an ultrasound bessel beam by a sphere

In this paper, the scattering of an ultrasound zero-order Bessel beam by a rigid sphere in the off-axis configuration is studied. The beam is described through the partial wave expansion. The beam-shape coefficients which represent the amplitude of each multipole mode of the partial wave expansion are computed by numerical quadrature. Calculations are presented for both near- and far-field off-axis scattering. The far-field scattering is examined in both Rayleigh and geometrical acoustic limits. Results demonstrate that the scattered pressure in the off-axis case may significantly deviate from that in the on-axis configuration. In addition, the directive pattern of the scattered pressure is highly dependent on the relative position of the beam to the sphere.     

Three-dimensional converging-diverging Gaussian beam diffraction by a volume grating

The diffraction characteristics of a volume grating (VG) illuminated by a three-dimensional (3-D) converging-diverging Gaussian beam at conical incidence are investigated by applying 3-D finite-beam (FB) rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA) based on the conventional 3-D RCWA in conjunction with two-dimensional plane-wave decomposition. The Gaussian beam is assumed to have an arbitrary incidence angle, an arbitrary azimuthal angle, and any linear polarization. The two cases with linear polarizations of the central beam of the Gaussian (E perpendicular K and H perpendicular K) are investigated. The diffraction efficiencies and the diffracted beam profiles for both unslanted VGs and slanted VGs (designed for substrate-mode optical interconnects) are presented. In general, the diffraction efficiencies of a converging-diverging spherical Gaussian beam diffracted by both unslanted VGs and slanted VGs increase and approach the central-beam results as the refractive-index modulation increases.     

Scattering of a Gaussian beam by an impedance half-plane

The diffraction of a Gaussian beam by an impedance half-plane is studied through the method of the modified theory of physical optics. An electric line source, which is defined in the complex space, is used to represent the Gaussian beam. The uniform evaluation of the diffraction integral is performed and the scattering patterns of the field are investigated for various numerical parameters of the incident wave.