Analytical and Numerical Approaches for Light Scattering by Nanostructured Materials

Light scattering and absorption are ubiquitous phenomena with a strong impact on our everyday life. Light scattering includes a whole class of light-matter interaction processes during which light is deflected due to the interaction with an obstacle. Most of our visual perceptions result from the scattering and absorption of light by the objects around us. Colors, brightness, and glossiness are a consequence of different scattering and absorption properties. Due to its strong impact, light scattering has been and still is an important research field in physics. The Maxwell equations describing the nature of electromagnetic waves, dated back to the 1860’s, are the basis of the electromagnetic theory and the fundamental tool for the understanding of light scattering and absorption processes. We can distinguish between elastic scattering when no energy transfers are involved in the process and inelastic otherwise. Rayleigh scattering and Mie scattering belong to the first category, while a typical example of inelastic scattering is Raman scattering. In this thesis, only the case of elastic scattering will be considered because, in the matter-radiation interactions under study, the energy is conserved. A complete study of the problem can be done using Quantum Electrodynamics. However, in the cases of our interest, we can neglect quantum contributions and use a fully classical description.