Terahertz waves propagation in an inhomogeneous plasma layer using the improved scattering-matrix method

The interaction between electromagnetic (EM) waves and plasma has been extensively investigated by the scattering-matrix method (SMM), but this method encounters the singularity problem, which is a numerical issue when the plasma density is considerable. In this study, the improved scattering-matrix method (ISMM) is applied to eliminate these singularities by adjusting the reference point in the calculation of the reflection coefficient and transmission coefficient. In addition, both the robustness and accuracy of the proposed method have been studied for the first time. The simulation results demonstrate that the ISMM not only inherits the superiority of SMM in terms of high efficiency but also exhibits stronger robustness and higher accuracy in dealing with different plasma characteristics, especially for high plasma densities. The reflectance, transmittance, and absorbance of terahertz waves propagation in an inhomogeneous plasma layer with different parameters, such as plasma density, thickness, collision frequency and external magnetic field, are then analyzed by the ISMM. These results are helpful in analyzing the effects of plasma on terahertz waves propagation and also provide a fundamental theoretical basis for the development of plasma physics.

Automated summary

The study applies the improved scattering-matrix method (ISMM) to address the singularity problem encountered in the scattering-matrix method (SMM) when plasma density is high, while also examining the robustness and accuracy of the proposed method for the first time.