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.. |github| image:: https://img.shields.io/github/v/tag/scottprahl/miepython?label=github&color=68CA66 :target: https://github.com/scottprahl/miepython :alt: GitHub

.. |conda| image:: https://img.shields.io/conda/vn/conda-forge/miepython?label=conda&color=68CA66 :target: https://github.com/conda-forge/miepython-feedstock :alt: Conda

.. |doi| image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/99259684.svg :target: https://zenodo.org/badge/latestdoi/99259684 :alt: DOI

.. |license| image:: https://img.shields.io/github/license/scottprahl/miepython?color=68CA66 :target: https://github.com/scottprahl/miepython/blob/master/LICENSE.txt :alt: License

.. |test| image:: https://github.com/scottprahl/miepython/actions/workflows/test.yaml/badge.svg :target: https://github.com/scottprahl/miepython/actions/workflows/test.yaml :alt: Testing

.. |docs| image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/miepython/badge?color=68CA66 :target: https://miepython.readthedocs.io :alt: Docs

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.. |lite| image:: https://img.shields.io/badge/try-JupyterLite-68CA66.svg :target: https://scottprahl.github.io/miepython/ :alt: Try JupyterLite

miepython

|lite|

Mie scattering calculations in pure Python

miepython provides a validated and efficient implementation of Mie scattering for spherical particles.
It reproduces established reference results (including Wiscombe's MIEV0) and is designed for scientific, educational, and computational research applications in optics.

The library implements the full Mie solution, including:

extinction, scattering, and absorption efficiencies
asymmetry parameter (scattering anisotropy)
angle-resolved scattering intensities
Mie expansion coefficients
complex amplitude functions and Mueller matrices
E-field and H-field calculations in the near-field around a sphere

The implementation is numerically stable for a wide range of size parameters and refractive indices, including lossy materials and high-index contrasts.

JupyterLite Implementation

The entire package can be used immediately in a browser — without installation — using the JupyterLite interface:

|lite|

This environment runs entirely client-side (Pyodide), and supports:

interactive notebooks
real-time plotting
full access to miepython functions
reproducible experiments (downloadable notebooks)

This makes it ideal for teaching, demonstrations, or quick exploratory calculations.

Installation

Install with pip:

.. code-block:: bash

pip install miepython

Or via conda:

.. code-block:: bash

conda install -c conda-forge miepython

Quick Start

A typical calculation is straightforward:

.. code-block:: python

import miepython as mie

m = 1.5 - 0.1j     # refractive index
d = 100            # diameter (nm)
lambda0 = 314.15   # wavelength (nm)

qext, qsca, qback, g = mie.efficiencies(m, d, lambda0)

Documentation and Examples

The full documentation is available on ReadTheDocs:

|docs|

Representative results simple examples:

https://github.com/scottprahl/miepython/tree/main/miepython/examples

.. image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/miepython/main/docs/images/01.svg .. image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/miepython/main/docs/images/02.svg .. image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/miepython/main/docs/images/03.svg .. image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/miepython/main/docs/images/04.svg .. image:: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/scottprahl/miepython/main/docs/images/05.svg

Performance and Acceleration

miepython supports optional Numba JIT compilation:

.. code-block:: python

import os
os.environ["MIEPYTHON_USE_JIT"] = "1"  # must be set before import
import miepython

This can provide 10–50× speedups for large parameter sweeps or ensemble calculations.

Benchmark example (100,000 particles):

============ ============ ========== Version Time Speedup ============ ============ ========== Pure Python 4.00 s 1× JIT Enabled 0.15 s 27× ============ ============ ==========

Citation

If you use laserbeamsize in academic, instructional, or applied technical work, please cite:

Prahl, S. (2026). miepython: Pure python calculation of Mie scattering (Version 3.2.0) [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7949263

BibTeX:

.. code-block:: bibtex

@software{prahl_miepython_2026,
  author  = {Scott Prahl},
  title   = {{miepython}: A Python library for Mie scattering calculations},
  url     = {https://github.com/scottprahl/miepython},
  doi     = {10.5281/zenodo.7949263},
  year    = {2026},
  version = {3.2.0},
  publisher = {Zenodo}
}

License

miepython is released under the MIT License.

Miepython

Install / Use

README