A nonlinear least squares framework for periodic grating identification with a high–order perturbation of surfaces implementation

Abstract

The scattering of linear electromagnetic waves by a layered structure is a central model in many problems of engineering interest. In this contribution, we focus on the interaction of visible and near–visible radiation with periodic structures on the micron or nanometer scales which are relevant for many applications in nanoplasmonics. The fabrication of such structures is extremely difficult and costly, and even the most sophisticated laboratories have difficulty measuring the dimensions of gratings they have constructed. We present a new, extremely rapid and robust, identification algorithm for providing precisely this information. It is built upon a Nonlinear Least Squares framework, and implemented with a High–Order Perturbation of Surfaces methodology which is orders of magnitude faster than volumetric solvers, while outperforming surface methods (such as Boundary Integral Methods) for the geometries we consider here. In addition to a full derivation and specification of the algorithm, we also support our claims with a number of illustrative simulations.