Abstract

Recently, there has been much interest in solving the vector wave equation by beam-propagation-method-type algorithms [1][2][3][4]. Most of the proposed algorithms are based on scalar propagation algorithms which suffer from accuracy limitations for large propagation steps. Implicite formulations involving a Crank-Nicholson scheme[3] or similar methods [4] become more complex in a two-dimensional cross-section. In this work it is shown, that a recently proposed beam propagation method[5] using a rigorous Taylor-series expansion can be used to solve the vector wave equation with high accuracy and without major changes in calculation effort.

© 1992 Optical Society of America