Improved Fourier transform methods for solving the parabolic wave equation

A standard method for modeling electromagnetic propagation in the troposphere is the Fourier split-step algorithm for solving the parabolic wave equation. An important advance in this technique was the introduction of the mixed Fourier transform, which permitted the extension of the method from propagation over only smooth perfectly conducting surfaces to quite general surfaces with impedance boundary conditions. This paper describes improvements in the implementation of the mixed Fourier transform, which make the method more robust and efficient and avoid potential numerical instabilities, which occasionally caused problems in the previous implementation. Some examples are also presented.