Wave beam propagation in a weakly inhomogeneous isotropic medium: paraxial approximation and beyond

The various methods put forward for the description of paraxial wave beams propagating in weakly inhomogeneous media are shown to be equivalent to each other. This issue is discussed in terms of a comparative analysis with respect to the complex eikonal-based solution relevant to the propagation of a Gaussian wave beam in a lens-like isotropic medium (such a solution being readily extendible to the propagation in a plasma slab). The accuracy of the paraxial solution thus considered is assessed numerically in comparison with the corresponding exact solution of the Helmholtz equation.