A parallel computational FDTD approach to the analysis of the light scattering from an opal photonic crystal

This paper describes the parallel computational approach for the analysis of the multiple scattering of light from a three dimensional ensemble of many spherical particles having an ordered face-centered cubic lattice structure. The solution is obtained by numerically solving the Maxwell's equations using the FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) method with an impinging electromagnetic plane. The aim is to simulate the reflectance and transmittance of the system in the 300700 nm wavelength range, calculating also the angular power distribution of the scattered light. This study is suitable for the optical characterization of opal photonic crystals.