Methods for the accurate modeling of birefringent optical elements and thin films using multi-sequential raytracing and beamlet propagation methods

Sequential raytracing through birefringent materials presents some challenges. Depending on the orientation of the crystal axis and the polarization of the elecro-magnetic field, the ray needs to be split into an ordinary and an extraordinary part. Since each ray may take a different path it is not always possible to recombine the polarization states into a single ray. We will present a method based on multi-sequential ray tracing that allows to compute the combined polarization state while not ignoring the OPD introduced by the different ray paths. Besides raytracing the method can be extended to wave optical propagation.