Development of a software package for modeling and analysis of light diffraction on periodic structures of nanophotonics by the rigorous coupled-wave analysis

We discuss the development of a software package, which enables simulating and analyzing the diffraction of a plane electromagnetic wave on a multilayer diffraction grating with. The main functional requirements to the system are formulated. The architectural solution of the implemented software including the main functional and logical layers of the system with the specified methods of their interaction is described. The method allowing one to model light diffraction on multilayer diffraction structures comprising homogeneous layers and diffraction gratings with one-dimensional periodicity is implemented. A polarizing reflector consisting of a diffraction grating on a Bragg grating (a one-dimensional photonic crystal) consisting of a small number of layers is designed and investigated. The optimal parameters of the structure are found for a given reflectance criterion. The parameter ranges satisfying the chosen criterion are investigated. The influence of changes in the geometric parameters of the structure on the reflector performance is discussed. The designed software package is promising for the design of grating-based nanophotonic filters and sensors.