Abstract
The regions for which the Fresnel equations can be inverted to determine the optical constants, n and K, from polarized reflection measurements of a plane electromagnetic wave are presented for different angles of incidence. The surface upon which this wave is incident is assumed to be a large, smooth, planar surface of a conducting medium that is linear, homogeneous, and isotropic. The sensitivity of the inversion procedure to ±1% error in the measured reflectances is presented graphically. Such a small error in reflectances could produce a large error, more than 20%, in the determined optical constants n and K with K being the more erroneous. Angles of incidence in the neighborhood of 10° and 80° produce the largest acceptable regions for inversion.
© 1972 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
J. E. Nestell and R. W. Christy
Appl. Opt. 11(3) 643-651 (1972)
Marvin R. Querry, Richard C. Waring, Wayne E. Holland, G. Michael Hale, and William Nijm
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(7) 849-855 (1972)
M. Ruiz-Urbieta and E. M. Sparrow
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 62(10) 1188-1194 (1972)