Event-based simulation of light propagation in lossless dielectric media

TL;DR

This paper presents an event-based simulation method for light propagation in lossless dielectric media, accurately reproducing wave phenomena like interference and beam splitting using modular deterministic learning machines.

Contribution

It introduces a novel event-based approach using deterministic learning machines to simulate complex optical systems without solving wave equations.

Findings

Successfully simulates light propagation through dielectric media

Reproduces interference patterns and beam splitting

Demonstrates modularity with complex optical setups

Abstract

We describe an event-based approach to simulate the propagation of an electromagnetic plane wave through dielectric media. The basic building block is a deterministic learning machine that is able to simulate a plane interface. We show that a network of two of such machines can simulate the propagation of light through a plane parallel plate. With properly chosen parameters this setup can be used as a beam splitter. The modularity of the simulation method is illustrated by constructing a Mach-Zehnder interferometer from plane parallel plates, the whole system reproducing the results of wave theory. A generalization of the event-based model of the plane parallel plate is also used to simulate a periodically stratified medium.