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

TLDR

The study considers a stratified medium with semi‑infinite first and last phases, plane parallel boundaries, and isotropic phases having arbitrary optical constants. Explicit formulas for the mean‑square electric fields induced by plane electromagnetic radiation in two‑, three‑, and N‑phase stratified media are derived, including simple relationships at the critical angle, expressions for reflectance, transmittance, phase changes, energy absorption, and characteristic‑matrix equations suitable for computer implementation.

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.