Parallelisation of rigorous light scattering simulation algorithms for nanostructured surfaces

Measuring processes based on scattered light can be investigated and designed using numerical simulation. Unfortunately, the classical scalar diffraction theory fails to simulate light scattering from sub-wavelength nanostructures. Therefore, new simulation algorithms are required. Existing approaches based on the rigorous diffraction theory lead to accurate results. However, because of the high computation efforts they are not applicable in practice. For example, the discrete dipole approximation leads to systems with millions of coupled linear equations, which are solvable only by time consuming calculations. The paper investigates a fast procedure, which decouples the equations and calculates the developed subsystems in parallel on different computers.