Accurate and efficient Monte Carlo solutions to the radiative transport equation in the spatial frequency domain

We present an approach to solving the radiative transport equation (RTE) for layered media in the spatial frequency domain (SFD) using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. This is done by obtaining a complex photon weight from analysis of the Fourier transform of the RTE. We also develop a modified shortcut method that enables a single MC simulation to efficiently provide RTE solutions in the SFD for any number of spatial frequencies. We provide comparisons between the modified shortcut method and conventional discrete transform methods for SFD reflectance. Further results for oblique illumination illustrate the potential diagnostic utility of the SFD phase-shifts for analysis of layered media. (c) 2011 Optical Society of America