Simulation Of Light Propagation Research Articles

Visualization of Pulpal Structures by SWIR in Endodontic Access Preparation.

Endodontic access preparation is one of the initial steps in root canal treatments and can be hindered by the obliteration of pulp canals and formation of tertiary dentin. Until now, methods for direct intraoperative visualization of the 3-dimensional anatomy of teeth have been missing. Here, we evaluate the use of shortwave infrared radiation (SWIR) for navigation during stepwise access preparation. Nine teeth (3 anteriors, 3 premolars, and 3 molars) were explanted en bloc with intact periodontium including alveolar bone and mucosa from the upper or lower jaw of human body donors. Analysis was performed at baseline as well as at preparation depths of 5 mm, 7 mm, and 9 mm, respectively. For reflection, SWIR was used at a wavelength of 1,550 nm from the occlusal direction, whereas for transillumination, SWIR was passed through each sample at the marginal gingiva from the buccal as well as oral side at a wavelength of 1,300 nm. Pulpal structures could be identified as darker areas approximately 2 mm before reaching the pulp chamber using SWIR transillumination, although they were indistinguishable under normal circumstances. Furcation areas in molars appeared with higher intensity than areas with canals. The location of pulpal structures was confirmed by superimposition of segmented micro-computed tomography (µCT) images. By radiomic analysis, significant differences between pulpal and parapulpal areas could be detected in image features. With hierarchical cluster analysis, both segments could be confirmed and associated with specific clusters. The local thickness of µCTs was calculated and correlated with SWIR transillumination images, by which a linear dependency of thickness and intensity could be demonstrated. Lastly, by in silico simulations of light propagation, dentin tubules were shown to be a crucial factor for understanding the visibility of the pulp. In conclusion, SWIR transillumination may allow direct clinical live navigation during endodontic access preparation.

Artificial neural networks trained on simulated multispectral data for real-time imaging of skin microcirculatory blood oxygen saturation.

Imaging blood oxygen saturation ( ) in the skin can be of clinical value when studying ischemic tissue. Emerging multispectral snapshot cameras enable real-time imaging but are limited by slow analysis when using inverse Monte Carlo (MC), the gold standard for analyzing multispectral data. Using artificial neural networks (ANNs) facilitates a significantly faster analysis but requires a large amount of high-quality training data from a wide range of tissue types for a precise estimation of . We aim to develop a framework for training ANNs that estimates in real time from multispectral data with a precision comparable to inverse MC. ANNs are trained using synthetic data from a model that includes MC simulations of light propagation in tissue and hardware characteristics. The model includes physiologically relevant variations in optical properties, unique sensor characteristics, variations in illumination spectrum, and detector noise. This approach enables a rapid way of generating high-quality training data that covers different tissue types and skin pigmentation. The ANN implementation analyzes an image in 0.11s, which is at least 10,000 times faster than inverse MC. The hardware modeling is significantly improved by an in-house calibration of the sensor spectral response. An in-vivo example shows that inverse MC and ANN give almost identical values with a mean absolute deviation of 1.3%-units. ANN can replace inverse MC and enable real-time imaging of microcirculatory in the skin if detailed and precise modeling of both tissue and hardware is used when generating training data.

Simulation of light propagation in medium with an ultrasonically induced refractive index gradient

Modulation of the refractive index in a medium by external stimuli enables fast and reversible control of light propagation. This technology for controlling light has led to new discoveries in a wide range of research fields from physics to life sciences and has played a major role in the development of photonics devices. In this article, we focus on ultrasound as an external stimulus and have devised a method to control the refractive index of a medium using ultrasound. Our research group has previously discovered that a giant refractive-index gradient (Δn on the order of 10−2) was induced when water was irradiated with high-frequency (100 MHz range), high-intensity (on the order of MPa) ultrasound. Here, we report ray-tracing simulations in a medium with a refractive-index gradient induced by ultrasonic radiation. A numerical model of the refractive-index gradient was developed based on the experimental data, and ray-tracing simulations were performed using the Euler–Lagrange equation. The ray-tracing simulation results were close numerically to the profiles of the laser beam observed in the experiment when the laser beam was incident on the refractive-index-gradient medium.

Understanding the Internal Conversion Efficiency of BiVO4/SnO2 Photoanodes for Solar Water Splitting: An Experimental and Computational Analysis.

This work aims to understand the spin-coating growth process of BiVO4 photoanodes from a photon absorption and conversion perspective. BiVO4 layers with thicknesses ranging from 7 to 48 nm and the role of a thin (<5 nm) SnO2 hole-blocking layer have been studied. The internal absorbed photon-to-current efficiency (APCE) is found to be nonconstant, following a specific dependence of the internal charge separation and extraction on the increasing thickness. This APCE variation with BiVO4 thickness is key for precise computational simulation of light propagation in BiVO4 based on the transfer matrix method. Results are used for accurate incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) prediction and will help in computational modeling of BiVO4 and other metal oxide photoanodes. This establishes a method to obtain the sample's thickness by knowing its IPCE, accounting for the change in the internal APCE conversion. Moreover, an improvement in fill factor and photogenerated voltage is attributed to the intermediate SnO2 hole-blocking layer, which was shown to have a negligible optical effect but to enhance charge separation and extraction for the lower energetic wavelengths. A Mott-Schottky analysis was used to confirm a photovoltage shift of 90 mV of the flat-band potential.

Ion imaging of spatially inhomogeneous nanoplasmas in NaCl particles.

Studying photoemission from free, unsupported aerosol particles is a powerful method for gaining insight into light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. We used single-shot velocity map imaging to experimentally measure kinetic energy and angular distributions of ions emitted following interaction of sub-micrometer NaCl particles with femtosecond pulses of near infrared (NIR, 800 nm) and ultraviolet (UV, 266 nm) light. We combined this with time-dependent simulations of light propagation through the particles and a rate equation approach to computationally address the origin of the observed ion emission. For both NIR and UV pulses, ion emission is caused by the formation of an under-dense nanoplasma with similar densities, although using an order of magnitude weaker UV intensities. Such conditions result in remarkably similar ion fragments with similar kinetic energies, and no obvious influence of the plasma formation mechanism (photoionization or collisional ionization). Our data suggests that Coulomb explosion does not play a significant role for ion emission, and we discuss alternative mechanisms that can lead to material ablation from under-dense nanoplasma. Finally, we show how finite size effects play an important role in photoemission through generation of spatially inhomogeneous nanoplasmas, which result in asymmetric ion emission that depends on particle size and laser wavelength. By utilizing the single-particle information available from our experiments, we show how finite size effects and inhomogeneous nanoplasma formation can be exploited to retrieve the size and orientation of individual submicrometer aerosol particles.

Prediction of Optical Properties in Particulate Media Using Double Optimization of Dependent Scattering and Particle Distribution.

The prediction of optical properties dominated by light scattering in particulate media composed of high-concentration and polydisperse particles is greatly important in various optical applications. However, the accuracy and efficiency of light propagation simulations are still limited by the huge computational burden and complex interactions between dense and polydisperse particles. Here, we proposed a new optimization strategy that can effectively and accurately predict optical properties based on Monte Carlo simulation with particle size and dependent scattering corrections. Both the scattering parameters of particles and the experimental reflectance spectrum are fully examined for verification. Furthermore, using the weighted solar reflectance of particulate media as a representative optical property, both numerical simulations and experiments confirm the superiority and universality of the proposed optimization approach in a variety of materials systems. Moreover, our work can guide the design of particulate media with specific optical features insightfully and will be applicable in many fields involving multiparticle scattering.

Optical properties of melon tissues and Monte Carlo simulation of light propagation through melon fruit

Visible/near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopy has been authenticated for quality evaluation of melon fruit. However, since melon is a multi-layered fruit with large size, the optical properties (OPs) of different tissue layers can influence the performance of the quality evaluation. Therefore, the OPs of different tissue layers (exocarp, green mesocarp and pulp) among different fruit positions (stem, equator and calyx) of 36 ‘Huanghemi’ melons were measured using single integrating sphere measurements and the light propagation through melon fruit was investigated by the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation based on the OPs. Moreover, the relationship of the OPs with microstructure and internal quality properties (soluble solids content (SSC) and moisture content) was explored. In the absorption coefficient (μa) spectra, five obvious absorption peaks for carotenoids (481 nm), chlorophyll (675 nm) and water (984, 1195 and 1423 nm) were observed. The exocarp had the highest μa values at 481 nm owing to its orange-yellow peel and the lowest μa values at 1423 nm, while the μa values of green mesocarp and pulp had no significant differences at all absorption peaks. The differences in reduced scattering coefficient (μs') spectra were obvious with a decreasing trend from the outermost (exocarp) to the innermost (pulp) layer and the stem to the calyx position in pulp layer, which mainly related to the different tissue structure. The MC simulation results indicated that the energy along the wavelength was mainly absorbed by the exocarp and green mesocarp, with a ‘diagnostic window’ appearing in 700–850 nm. As the source-detector distance increased, the mean optical pathlength and attenuation of detected photons in each tissue layer increased, while the contribution fraction to the detected diffuse reflectance signals by the exocarp, green mesocarp and pulp respectively decreased, increased and increased. To acquire more information about the pulp and ensure a good signal-to-noise ratio of the spectral signal, a source-detector distance of 7 mm with a suitable light source power would be a good choice. Furthermore, the best prediction models with good performance for SSC and moisture content were built based on the μa spectra, with the correlation coefficient of prediction (Rp) of 0.78–0.80, 0.76–0.88 and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.83–0.92%, 0.70–0.93%. This study was the first attempt to measure the OPs of melon tissues and investigate the light propagation through melon fruit, which would provide a reference to develop nondestructive testing techniques or instruments for melon fruit based on Vis/NIR spectroscopy.

Full-Vectorial Light Propagation Simulation of Optimized Beams in Scattering Media

Volumetric scattering prevents imaging modalities in biomedical optics from imaging deep inside tissue. The optimization of the incident wavefront has the potential to improve these imaging modalities. To investigate the optimization and light propagation of such beams inside scattering media rigorously, full-vectorial simulations based on solutions of Maxwell’s equations are necessary. In this publication, we present a versatile two-step beam synthesis method to efficiently simulate the scanning and phase optimization of a focused beam inside a static scattering medium. We present four different approaches to the phase optimization of the energy density and the absolute value of the Poynting vector. We find that these quantities have two regions with different, almost exponential decays over depth for a non-optimized beam. Optimization by conjugating the phase of the projected electric field in various directions at the focus shows an improvement below a certain penetration depth. Seeking global solutions to the optimization problems reveals an even better enhancement in the energy density and the absolute value of the Poynting vector in the focus. For Poynting vector optimization, the differences between the presented optimization approaches are more significant than for the energy density. With the presented method, it is possible to efficiently simulate different imaging methods improved by wavefront shaping to investigate their possible penetration depths.

Study on the Filter Integrated with High Transmission and Ultra-Wideband Electromagnetic Shielding Function in the View of Surface Plasmon

The generation of a strong electromagnetic weapon requires the electromagnetic protection performance of the photoelectric system, including the high shielding and ultra-wideband protection characteristics against strong electromagnetic attacks and superhigh infrared transmittance. This article aims to excite surface plasmons by etching a subwavelength circular structure array run through a metal film. At the same time, the local field enhancement effect based on surface plasmons is used to tune specific wavelengths of light, achieving the goal of enhancing the optical transmission effect. Ulteriorly, the amplitude and position of the infrared response peak are controlled by optimizing the structural geometric parameters to achieve filtering effects in different wavebands. Furthermore, through the inversion calculation of the transmission spectrum of the circle array structure in the visible light band, the different colors of its surface under different parameters can correspond one-to-one to its performance, so as to intuitively identify different filter types and their performance. Meanwhile, the remaining metal film after etching off the circle array structure region constitutes an ultra-wideband shielding layer as a continuous conductor, achieving a shielding efficiency of more than 45 dB in the radar band (1–18 GHz). It is worth noting that the cascaded theory combines ultra-thin metal films with thick substrates to solve the problem of software running for long periods of time and under high loads during the simulation of light propagation. This scheme greatly reduces the error between simulation and practical application.

Simulation of Light Scattering in Automotive Paints: Role of Particle Size

Nowadays, computer simulation is being used to develop new materials. Many of them are dispersed media (e.g., paints, and 3D printer inks). Modern automotive paints are of great interest in research works. They contain colorant particles and thin flat metallic or pearlescent flakes distributed in a clear varnish. There are two main approaches to simulation of light scattering in a dispersed media. The first one is based on the continuous medium model. This model is faster but less accurate. The second approach is the simulation of light propagation through an ensemble of paint flakes and particles represented as an explicit geometry. This model correctly calculates light scattering but is rather time-consuming. In our study, we investigated the dependence of the painted surface luminance on particle size and compared both the approaches. We prove that the effect of coarse particles can emerge even in a model where positions of these particles are not correlated; this is different from the mainstream studies which have only concentrated on the role of these correlations. Then, we suggest a semi-analytical model of dependence on particle size. This model not only allows to more accurately simulate visual appearance but also admits intuitive comprehension of how it is affected by various medium parameters. In case of the divergence between the results of LTE and accurate approaches, we propose a simple approximation that allows to improve the accuracy of the LTE results for coarse particles.

Efficient and accurate intensity diffraction tomography of multiple-scattering samples.

Optical Diffraction Tomography (ODT) is a label-free method to quantitatively estimate the 3D refractive index (RI) distributions of microscopic samples. Recently, significant efforts were directed towards methods to model multiple-scattering objects. The fidelity of reconstructions rely on accurately modelling light-matter interactions, but the efficient simulation of light propagation through high-RI structures over a large range of illumination angles is still challenging. Here we present a solution dealing with these problems, proposing a method that allows one to efficiently model the tomographic image formation for strongly scattering objects illuminated over a wide range of angles. Instead of propagating tilted plane waves we apply rotations on the illuminated object and optical field and formulate a new and robust multi-slice model suitable for high-RI contrast structures. We test reconstructions made by our approach against simulations and experiments, using rigorous solutions to Maxwell's equations as ground truth. We find the proposed method to produce reconstructions of higher fidelity compared to conventional multi-slice methods, especially for the challenging case of strongly scattering samples where conventional reconstruction methods fail.

Tunable topological phase transition in the telecommunication wavelength

Recent progress in the Valley Hall insulator has demonstrated a nontrivial topology property due to the distinct valley index in 2D semiconductor systems. In this work, we propose a highly tunable topological phase transition based on valley photonic crystals. The topological phase transition is realized by the inversion symmetry broken due to the refractive index change of structures consisting of optical phase change material (OPCM) with thermal excitation of different sites in a honeycomb lattice structure. Besides, simulations of light propagation at sharp corners and pseudo-spin photon coupling are conducted to quantitatively examine the topological protection. Compared with other electro-optical materials based on reconfigurable topological photonics, a wider bandwidth and greater tunability of both central bandgap frequency and topological phase transition can happen in the proposed scheme. Our platform has great potential in practical applications in lasing, light sensing, and high-contrast tunable optical filters.

49.1: Visual Quality System ‐ A Simulation Solution for Mini‐LED LCD Backlight Unit Optimization Targeting on High Quality and Accurate HDR Image Display

Local dimming technology has largely increased the effective contrast ratio of mini-LED displays. With suitable backlight and algorithm design, these devices are capable of rendering HDR images with extreme quality. A solution for mini-LED backlight optimization is presented in this work. VQS utilizes deterministic light propagation simulation and spectral analysis to predict display quality from design parameters. It provides display system manufacturers and local dimming algorithm developers a framework to easily optimize their designs.

Dependence of the Registered Blood Flow in Incoherent Optical Fluctuation Flowmetry on the Mean Photon Path Length in a Tissue

Laser-based medical techniques for evaluating blood flow (BF), such as laser Doppler flowmetry, laser speckle contrast imaging, etc., are known, but expensive and have some disadvantages. Recently, we have proposed a new technique—incoherent optical fluctuation flowmetry (IOFF), which is realized using a LED-based optical probe. This work aims to theoretically study the dependence of BF registered by IOFF on the source-detector distance (SDD) in the probe. For this purpose, we developed a three-layer optical model of skin and used Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of light propagation. All computations were performed for a wavelength of 810 nm and several SDDs from 1 to 14 mm. MC results showed that the BF depends nonlinearly on the SDD. Herewith, the BF is strongly correlated with the mean photon path length in a tissue (R = 0.92). Thus, flowmeters with different SDDs can give different BF values on the same patient. Based on the study results, to standardize BF measurements, it has been justified that BF magnitudes measured should be normalized to the exponential function of the SDD in the used optical probe in the form of [1 − exp(−b·SDD)], where b is a constant.

Tutorial on Monte Carlo simulation of photon transport in biological tissues [Invited

A tutorial introduction to Monte Carlo (MC) simulation of light propagation in biological tissues. MC statistical sampling is introduced, the basic design of a MC program is explained, and examples of application in biomedicine are presented.

Measuring saturable nonlinearity in atomic vapor via direct spatial mapping.

We demonstrate a scheme to measure the saturable nonlinearity of atomic vapor by mapping its nonlinear response function onto a light beam profile. Our analysis shows that a part of a nonlinear optical solution solved in a model governing the nonlinear beam dynamics in atomic vapor can be used to perform this measurement, even in the presence of large absorption. A desired beam profile is achieved by an evolution of a well-known structured beam, namely the Airy beam. Using this simple yet effective method, we retrieve the saturable nonlinear response function of rubidium (Rb) atomic vapor in experiment, and employ it in light propagation simulation that reproduces well observed nonlinear dynamics, which nevertheless cannot be fitted in a strong nonlinear regime with an ideal Kerr approximation. Our method is applicable to a broad spectrum of materials featured with saturable nonlinearities.

Morpho-functional traits of the coral Stylophora pistillata enhance light capture for photosynthesis at mesophotic depths

The morphological architecture of photosynthetic corals modulates the light capture and functioning of the coral-algal symbiosis on shallow-water corals. Since corals can thrive on mesophotic reefs under extreme light-limited conditions, we hypothesized that microskeletal coral features enhance light capture under low-light environments. Utilizing micro-computed tomography scanning, we conducted a novel comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) assessment of the small-scale skeleton morphology of the depth-generalist coral Stylophora pistillata collected from shallow (4–5 m) and mesophotic (45–50 m) depths. We detected a high phenotypic diversity between depths, resulting in two distinct morphotypes, with calyx diameter, theca height, and corallite marginal spacing contributing to most of the variation between depths. To determine whether such depth-specific morphotypes affect coral light capture and photosynthesis on the corallite scale, we developed 3D simulations of light propagation and photosynthesis. We found that microstructural features of corallites from mesophotic corals provide a greater ability to use solar energy under light-limited conditions; while corals associated with shallow morphotypes avoided excess light through self-shading skeletal architectures. The results from our study suggest that skeleton morphology plays a key role in coral photoadaptation to light-limited environments.

Modeling and Simulation of Photobioreactors with Computational Fluid Dynamics—A Comprehensive Review

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) have been frequently applied to model the growth conditions in photobioreactors, which are affected in a complex way by multiple, interacting physical processes. We review common photobioreactor types and discuss the processes occurring therein as well as how these processes have been considered in previous CFD models. The analysis reveals that CFD models of photobioreactors do often not consider state-of-the-art modeling approaches. As a comprehensive photobioreactor model consists of several sub-models, we review the most relevant models for the simulation of fluid flows, light propagation, heat and mass transfer and growth kinetics as well as state-of-the-art models for turbulence and interphase forces, revealing their strength and deficiencies. In addition, we review the population balance equation, breakage and coalescence models and discretization methods since the predicted bubble size distribution critically depends on them. This comprehensive overview of the available models provides a unique toolbox for generating CFD models of photobioreactors. Directions future research should take are also discussed, mainly consisting of an extensive experimental validation of the single models for specific photobioreactor geometries, as well as more complete and sophisticated integrated models by virtue of the constant increase of the computational capacity.

Gaussian dispersion analysis in the time domain: Efficient conversion with Padé approximants

We present an approach for adapting the Gaussian dispersion analysis (GDA) of optical materials to time-domain simulations. Within a GDA model, the imaginary part of a measured dielectric function is presented as a sum of Gaussian absorption terms. Such a simple model is valid for materials where inhomogeneous broadening is substantially larger than the homogeneous linewidth. The GDA model is the essential broadband approximation for the dielectric function of many glasses, polymers, and other natural and artificial materials with disorder. However, efficient implementation of this model in time-domain full-wave electromagnetic solvers has never been fully achieved. We start with a causal form of an isolated oscillator with Gaussian-type absorption — Causal Dawson-Gauss oscillator. Then, we derive explicit analytical formulas to implement the Gaussian oscillator in a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solver with minimal use of memory and floating point operations. The derivation and FDTD implementation employ our generalized dispersive material (GDM) model — a universal, modular approach to describing optical dispersion with Padé approximants. We share the FDTD prototype codes that include automated generation of the approximants and a universal FDTD dispersion implementation that employs various second-order accurate numerical schemes. The codes can be used with non-commercial solvers and commercial software for time-domain simulations of light propagation in dispersive media, which are experimentally characterized with GDA models. Program summaryProgram Title:MADISCPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/x69b4krsy8.1Licensing provisions: GPLv3Programming language: MATLABNature of problem: The problem of efficient time-domain simulation of the Gaussian absorption is essential for wideband modeling of the optical response from materials with inhomogeneous spectral broadening, such as glasses, polymers, and other natural and artificial composite materials with structural or phase disorder.Solution method: A Coupled Oscillator (CO) approximation to the Gaussian absorption in both the frequency and time domains is derived to solve this problem. The time-domain CO approximation is coupled to the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solver for the Maxwell equations in the MADIS (MAterial DIspersion Simulator) package. Verification of the Maxwell solvers' accuracy and stability is performed with the FDTD solver coupled to a compact universal implementation of the CO model, employing second-order schemes (either ADE or RC). Code prototypes of these efficient CO schemes can be ported to other methods and platforms for implementing the Gaussian absorption in open-source codes or commercial software.Additional comments including restrictions and unusual features: Patent pending. Restrict any commercial use, including for profit reproduction.

Scalable and accessible personalized photodynamic therapy optimization with FullMonte and PDT-SPACE.

.Significance: Open-source software packages have been extensively used in the past three decades in medical imaging and diagnostics, aiming to study the feasibility of the application ex vivo. Unfortunately, most of the existing open-source tools require some software engineering background to install the prerequisite libraries, choose a suitable computational platform, and combine several software tools to address different applications.Aim: To facilitate the use of open-source software in medical applications, enabling computational studies of treatment outcomes prior to the complex in-vivo setting.Approach: FullMonteWeb, an open-source, user-friendly web-based software with a graphical user interface for interstitial photodynamic therapy (iPDT) modeling, visualization, and optimization, is introduced. The software can perform Monte Carlo simulations of light propagation in biological tissues, along with iPDT plan optimization. FullMonteWeb installs and runs the required software and libraries on Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing scalable computing without complex set up.Results: FullMonteWeb allows simulation of large and small problems on the most appropriate compute hardware, enabling cost improvements of versus always running on a single platform. Case studies in optical property estimation and diffuser placement optimization highlight FullMonteWeb’s versatility.Conclusion: The FullMonte open source suite enables easier and more cost-effective in-silico studies for iPDT.