Fluor-FOS: Open-source code for optical modeling of multilayer nanocomposite media with fluorescent inclusions
Description
Efficient simulation of photon propagation in highly scattering, fluorescent multi-layer media remains challenging due to the need to simultaneously model scattering, absorption, and emission. Existing open-source codes, developed primarily for biomedical and sensing applications, cannot handle multi-layer configurations with multiple fluorescent and non-fluorescent (e.g., white filler) inclusions. There is a need for user-friendly open-source tools capable of modeling such complex structures, with applications in radiative cooling, energy harvesting, and solid-state lighting. Additionally, accommodating uncertainty in optical properties is a valuable feature currently lacking in existing codes. In this paper, we present an open-source code utilizing a Python-based, parallelized Monte Carlo algorithm that handles photon propagation in multi-layer media with fluorescent and non-fluorescent inclusions, simulating the following spectral radiative properties: reflectance, spectral fluorescence, absolute and normalized radiosity, total and different types of absorptances, and transmittance. This work serves as a built function on FOS, a previous open-source code developed by our group for non-fluorescent media. The Fluor-FOS open-source code enables efficient simulation of spectral radiative properties for fluorescent media in radiative cooling applications, LED packages, and energy harvesting systems. The proposed software has been validated against an open-source code and two experimental cases with different configurations and light sources, ensuring the fidelity of the proposed modified Monte Carlo algorithm.