We compare the radiative transfer equation for media with constant refractive index with the radiative transfer equation for media with spatially varying refractive indices [J. Opt. A Pure App. Opt. 1, L1 (1999)] and obtain approximate conditions under which the former equation is accurate for modeling light propagation in scattering media with spatially varying refractive indices. These condit...

The ray-tracing technique can be employed to simulate the scattering of light by a dielectric particle whose characteristic dimension is much larger than the incident wavelength. When a scattering particle is absorptive, a localized electromagnetic wave refracted into the scatterer is inhomogeneous, which requires the use of an effective refractive index to determine the propagation direction o...

We describe a spontaneous symmetry-breaking phenomenon between the intensities of the ordinary and extraordinary components of the fundamental field in intracavity type II harmonic generation. It is based on a triply resonant cavity containing a type II chi(2) crystal pumped at fundamental frequency omega0. The pump beam generates a second-harmonic mode at frequency 2omega0 that acts as a pump ...

Admittance diagrams are used to analyze qualitatively and quantitatively the behavior of inhomogeneous thin films with an arbitrary refractive-index function. From this study it follows that one can treat the behavior of rugate filters by using the concept of effective refractive indices, which are associated with the phase integral in a simple way. These results are applied to the study of per...

The behavior of tapered graded-index polymer optical fibers is analyzed computationally for different refractive indices of the surrounding medium. This serves to clarify the main parameters affecting their possible performance as refractive-index sensors and extends an existing study of similar structures in glass fibers. The ray-tracing method is employed, its specific implementation is expla...

If creativity is a reaction against the norm, then to understand and exploit creativity one must first understand and adequately represent this norm. In other words, to produce the extraordinary, as a human or as a machine, one must first understand the ordinary. Creativity is a large theme that manifests itself in many small ways in language, and in this paper we address one such manifestation...