GSvit — An open source FDTD solver for realistic nanoscale optics simulations

Surface and volume imperfections can significantly affect the performance of nanoscale or microscale devices used in photonics, optoelectronics or scientific instrumentation. In this article we present an open source software package for Finite-Difference Time-Domain electromagnetic field calculations suitable for calculations on graphics cards. Its special features include handling realistic models of imperfect nanoscale objects, such as treatment of arbitrary geometries including addition of random roughness to any geometrical object. The method is compared to conventional optical approach represented by Rayleigh-Rice theory. Practical applicability is demonstrated using a calculation of variation of field enhancement at proximity of a rough nanoscale antenna and rough particle scattering. It is shown that such approach can be namely useful in the areas where many repeated calculations are necessary, e.g. when studying how the optical response of nanoscale objects can vary when they are rough.