Diffraction of Light by a Two-Dimensional Lattice of Spheres

Abstract

Two-dimensional arrays of particles are of great interest because of their very characteristic optical properties and numerous potential applications. Although a variety of theoretical approaches are available for the description of their properties, methods that are accurate and convenient for computational procedures are always sought. In this work, a new technique to study the diffraction of a monochromatic electromagnetic field by a two-dimensional lattice of spheres is presented. The method, based on Fourier series, can take into account an arbitrary number of terms in the multipole expansion of the field scattered by each sphere. This method has the advantage of leading to simple formulas that can be readily programmed and used as a powerful tool for nanostructure characterization.