Rigorous interference and diffraction analysis of diffractive optic elements using the finite-difference time-domain method

The Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) method has proven to be a useful tool to analyze electromagnetic scattering phenomena. In this work, the FDTD method is applied at optical wavelengths. More precisely, we present the results obtained using the FDTD algorithm to simulate the performance of optical devices such as volume diffraction gratings. The Perfectly Matched Layers (PML), Total-Field Scattered-Field formulation (TF/SF) and Near-Field to Far-Field transformation (NF/FF) are some add-ons included in order to correctly calculate the far field distribution obtained from the numerical near-field values computed in the simulation region. These values in the near-field region are computed by illuminating the grating with of a plane wave at the Bragg angle of incidence. In addition, we compare the results obtained by the FDTD method to those obtained using the Rigorous Coupled Wave Theory (RCWT) applied to diffraction gratings. As will be seen in this paper there is good agreement between the two approaches, thus validating our FDTD implementation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.