Multiscale numerical method for nonlinear Maxwell equations (Q2388640)

The authors consider a numerical approximation of nonlinear Maxwell equations which describe how high-intensity light interacts with matter. The equations represent here a laser-matter interaction where the validity of the so-called paraxial approximation is not clear. The simulation requires to handle processes involving several orders of magnitude. The evolution of a laser beam in a nonlinear, noncentrosymmetric crystal is described by nonlinear Maxwell-Lorentz equations. An asymptotically equivalent semilinear model is derived that substitutes the nonlinear equations. The solution of the semilinear system relies on ideas of \textit{J.-L. Joly, G. Métivier} and \textit{J. Rauch} [Duke Math. J. 70, 373--404 (1993; Zbl 0815.35066); J. Differ. Equations 166, 175--250 (2000; Zbl 1170.78311)] where singular equations are used. Finite differences in space and time and an approximate Fourier basis for the phase are applied. The nonlinear Maxwell equations can be solved using a step size of order of the wave length. It is proved that ``the approximation is asymptotic in the sense that a multi-scale expansion can be performed on the discrete solution and the result of this expansion is a discretization of the continuous limit''(from the authors' summary). Moving computational windows are implemented in the algorithm in order to reduce the required memory space.