Computational toolbox for scattering of focused light from flattened or elongated particles using spheroidal wavefunctions

T-matrix methods, with incident and scattered fields described as sums of multipolar fields, are attractive computational methods for many scattering problems due to their versatility, accuracy, and computational efficiency, especially for repeated calculations. However, numerical difficulties often hamper their use for non-spherical particles with large aspect ratios. Further, even if far-field scattering can be accurately calculated, it can be impossible to accurately calculate near-fields. The use of spheroidal wavefunctions, instead of the commonly-used spherical wavefunctions, can be a useful solution for these problems. However, the mathematical complexity of spheroidal wavefunctions, and the challenging task of accurate numerical calculation of them, are significant barriers to their use. We have developed a computational package of MATLAB routines for performing electromagnetic scattering calculations using spheroidal wavefunctions. These allow the determination of light scattering by non-spherical particles with high aspect ratios that would be inaccessible for double precision calculation using spherical wavefunctions. We demonstrate that our codes can be successfully used for cylinders of aspect ratios from 1/10 and 10, and for metal nanoparticles. We include routines for interoperability with regular T-matrix codes and packages such as our optical tweezers toolbox.