Abstract

We present a new beam propagation algorithm based upon a Pade approximation of the propagation operator that is accurate at angles of up to 65 degrees from the propagation axis. Ours represents an alternate approach to previous work[l] in which the square root Helmholtz operator was first expanded and then approximated. In contrast, we define the various Pade approximants more directly (and accurately) from the recursion formula.

© 1992 Optical Society of America