Verification and comparison of a fast Fourier transform-based full diffraction method for tilted and offset planes

The recent introduction of a fast Fourier transform- (FFT-) based method for calculating the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld full diffraction integral for tilted and offset planes permits high-speed evaluation of integrated optical systems. An important part of introducing a new calculational tool is its validation and an assessment of its limitations. The validity of the new FFT-based method was determined by comparison of that method with direct integration (DI) of the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral, a well-established method. Points of comparison were accuracy, computational speed, memory requirements of the host computer, and applicability to various optical modeling situations. The new FFT-based method is 228 times faster, yet requires 14 times more memory, than the DI method for a 500 mum by 500 mum real computational window. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.