Electric Fields Produced by the Propagation of Plane Coherent Electromagnetic Radiation in a Stratified Medium

Abstract

Explicit formulas are derived for the mean-square electric fields induced by plane electromagnetic radiation in a two-phase, three-phase, and N-phase stratified medium. The first (incident) and last phases are semi-infinite in extent. Boundaries separating phases are plane and parallel. Phases are isotropic with arbitrary optical constants. Simple relationships follow for special cases such as at the critical angle for a two-phase system. Equations for reflectance, transmittance, and phase changes on reflectance and transmittance are given. Details are given concerning the energy absorption process, especially in the two- and three-layer cases. Equations for the N-layer case are in terms of characteristic matrices which can be readily programmed for a computer.