IMPROVED ALGORITHM FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC SCATTERING OF PLANE-WAVES AND SHAPED BEAMS BY MULTILAYERED SPHERES

An efficient numerical procedure for computing the scattering coeffici ents of a multilayered sphere is discussed. The stability of the numer ical scheme allows us to extend the feasible range of computations, bo th in size parameter and in number of layers for a given size, by seve ral orders of magnitude with respect to previously published algorithm s. Exemplifying results, such as scattering diagrams and cross-section al curves, including the case of Gaussian beam illumination, are provi ded. Particular attention is paid to scattering at the rainbow angle f or which approaches based on geometrical optics might fail to provide accurate enough results. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.