Rigorous electromagnetic analysis of Talbot effect with the finite- difference time-domain method

摘要

We present the electromagnetic analysis of Talbot effect with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. To our knowledge, it is the first time that FDTD method is applied to analyze the performance of a Talbot illuminator. Furthermore, self-imaging performances of a grating with different flaws are analyzed. The FDTD method can be applied to analyze this kind of diffraction. Of course it also can be analyzed with the Fourier transform method. But for this non-period grating, it will be more complex. In addition, the grating employed here is a high-density grating. The Fourier transform method is not rigorous enough. For these reasons, the FDTD method can show the exact near-field distribution of different flaws in a high-density grating, which is impossible to attain with the conventional Fourier transform method.