Multislice computational model for birefringent scattering

Abstract

Analytical modeling of optical field propagation in a scattering medium is essential for computational optics such as iterative imaging reconstructions and end-to-end photonic designs. Despite the existence of the beam propagation method framework and numerical electromagnetic simulation tools for scalar scattering processes, there has been a lack of an analytical model to include the full tensor nature of birefringent scattering. Here, we present an analytical tool with a polarization transfer function tensor to model the field propagation in a birefringent scattering medium by including a full set of field tensor elements and multiple-scattering characteristics. Birefringence-controlled field propagation experiments were successfully carried out to validate the proposed model. With the capability to solve the 3D reconstruction of the scattering potential tensor, we believe the proposed model will provide a more accurate and efficient forward analytical tool for iterative reconstruction of birefringence-related scattering processes.