PyLlama swMATH ID: 36337 Software Authors: Bay, Mélanie M.; Vignolini, Silvia; Vynck, Kevin Description: PyLlama: a stable and versatile Python toolkit for the electromagnetic modeling of multilayered anisotropic media. PyLlama is a handy Python toolkit to compute the electromagnetic reflection and transmission properties of arbitrary multilayered linear media, including the case of anisotropy. Relying on a 4×4-matrix formalism, PyLlama implements not only the transfer matrix method, that is the most popular choice in existing codes, but also the scattering matrix method, which is numerically stable in all situations (e.g., thick, highly birefringent cholesteric structures at grazing incident angles). PyLlama is also designed to suit the practical needs by allowing the user to create, edit and assemble layers or multilayered domains with great ease. In this article, we present the electromagnetic theory underlying the transfer matrix and scattering matrix methods and outline the architecture and main features of PyLlama. Finally, we validate the code by comparison with available analytical solutions and demonstrate its versatility and numerical stability by modelling cholesteric media of varying complexity. A detailed documentation and tutorial are provided in a separate user manual. Applications of PyLlama range from the design of optical components to the study of structurally coloured materials in the living world. Homepage: https://pyllama.readthedocs.io/ Source Code: https://github.com/VignoliniLab/PyLlama Keywords: Optics; arXiv_physics.optics; Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics; arXiv_cond-mat.mes-hall; Python Related Software: Reticolo; Berreman4x4; pySCATMECH; SCATMECH; S4; SymPy; SciPy; NumPy; Python Cited in: 1 Document Standard Articles 1 Publication describing the Software Year PyLlama: a stable and versatile Python toolkit for the electromagnetic modeling of multilayered anisotropic media arXiv Mélanie M. Bay, Silvia Vignolini, Kevin Vynck 2020 Cited by 3 Authors 1 Bay, Mélanie M. 1 Vignolini, Silvia 1 Vynck, Kevin Cited in 1 Serial 1 Computer Physics Communications Cited in 1 Field 1 Optics, electromagnetic theory (78-XX) Citations by Year