Unraveling the scattering of a circularly polarized Lommel beam by a dielectric sphere

There has been a tremendous interest in studying non-diffracting beams due to their special characteristics and possible uses in research and industry. The Lommel beam, a non-diffracting beam described by the Lommel function and characterized by various characteristics, is very versatile and adjustable. This benefits the process of enhancing or mitigating particle scattering. So, this study examines the scattering of a circularly polarized (CP) non-diffracting Lommel beam by a dielectric sphere using the well-known Generalized Lorenz-Mie Theory (GLMT). The electromagnetic fields of the incident, scattered, and transmitted CP Lommel beam are formulated using beam shape coefficients (BSCs) and vector spherical wave functions (VSWFs). The unknown scattering coefficients of the scattered field are calculated by applying continuous boundary conditions (BCs). The normalized dimensionless far-field/far-zone scattering intensity (NDFSI) is defined and subjected to numerical analysis. The discussion includes effects on beam-order, asymmetry parameter, beam half-cone angle, and beam center coordinates of the Lommel beam on the NDFSI. The scattering of the Lommel beam is influenced by modifications to its configuration parameters. The findings will contribute to research on diverse materials, particularly metamaterial structures, and their potential applications across various domains of optics and photonics.