Efficient vertical mode expansion method for scattering by arbitrary layered cylindrical structures.

A relatively simple and efficient numerical method is developed for analyzing the scattering of light by a layered cylindrical structure of arbitrary cross section surrounded by a layered background. The method significantly extends an existing vertical mode expansion method (VMEM) for circular or elliptic cylindrical structures. The original VMEM and its extension give rise to effective two-dimensional formulations for the three-dimensional scattering problems of layered cylindrical structures. The extended VMEM developed in this paper uses boundary integral equations to handle the two-dimensional Helmholtz equations that appear in the vertical mode expansion process. The method is applied to analyze the transmission of light through subwavelength apertures in metallic films and the scattering of light by metallic nanoparticles.