Spectral-domain-based scattering analysis of fields radiated by distributed sources in planar-stratified environments with arbitrarily anisotropic layers

We discuss the numerically stable, spectral-domain computation and extraction of the scattered electromagnetic field excited by distributed sources embedded in planar-layered environments, where each layer may exhibit arbitrary and independent electrical and magnetic anisotropic response and loss profiles. This stands in contrast to many standard spectral-domain algorithms that are restricted to computing the fields radiated by Hertzian dipole sources in planar-layered environments where the media possess azimuthal-symmetric material tensors (i.e., isotropic, and certain classes of uniaxial, media). Although computing the scattered field, particularly when due to distributed sources, appears (from the analytical perspective, at least) relatively straightforward, different procedures within the computation chain, if not treated carefully, are inherently susceptible to numerical instabilities and (or) accuracy limitations due to the potential manifestation of numerically overflown and (or) numerically unbalanced terms entering the chain. Therefore, primary emphasis herein is given to effecting these tasks in a numerically stable and robust manner for all ranges of physical parameters. After discussing the causes behind, and means to mitigate, these sources of numerical instability, we validate the algorithm's performance against closed-form solutions. Finally, we validate and illustrate the applicability of the proposed algorithm in case studies concerning active remote sensing of marine hydrocarbon reserves embedded deep within lossy, planar-layered media.