Evaluation of laser-sheet beam shape coefficients in generalized Lorenz–Mie theory by use of a localized approximation

The use of laser sheets is of growing interest in many measurement techniques relying on light scattering. Device performances must often be analyzed with generalized Lorenz–Mie theory, which requires the evaluation of beam shape coefficients describing the incident beams. In the case of Gaussian beams these coefficients are most efficiently computed by a localized approximation. The localized approximation procedure for Gaussian beams is here successfully generalized to the case of laser sheets.