Light scattering by closely spaced parallel cylinders embedded in a semi-infinite dielectric medium

A theory of light scattering by closely spaced parallel radially stratified cylinders embedded in a semi-infinite dielectric matrix is presented. No restriction is placed on the polarization and direction of propagation of the incident plane wave. The diameter of the cylinders, the spacing between the cylinders, and the incident wavelength are comparable to each other. Each cylinder can have an arbitrary number of concentric layers of stratification, and the complex index of refraction in each layer can be different. A rigorous solution of Maxwell's equations that accounts for depolarization at oblique incidence, diffraction of waves at the dielectric interface, and coherent scattering between the cylinders is developed. The light-scattering characteristics of closely spaced cylinders in a dielectric medium are examined by numerical data. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.