Abstract

Fluids adsorbed within the layers of optical coatings cause gradients of refractive index which scatter light from the reflected and transmitted beams. A general equation which relates the sensitivity to scatter to the strength of the electric field at a point in a coating is derived and used to obtain approximate expressions for the magnitude of scatter expected from antireflection films, multilayered reflecting coatings, and interference filters. Examples of scatter from all-dielectric and metal–dielectric–metal filters are given, and the time-dependence and tuning characteristics of the scatter are discussed.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

Moisture-dependent anisotropic effects in optical coatings

John R. Gee, Ian J. Hodgkinson, and H. Angus Macleod
Appl. Opt. 24(19) 3188-3192 (1985)

Optical admittance of an all-dielectric unsymmetrical multilayer near the monitoring wavelength

B. S. Verma, R. Bhattacharyya, and V. V. Shah
Appl. Opt. 25(2) 315-319 (1986)

Influence of metal films on the optical scatter and related microstructure of coated surfaces

Ghanim A. Al-Jumaily, S. R. Wilson, J. J. McNally, J. R. McNeil, Jean M. Bennett, and H. H. Hurt
Appl. Opt. 25(20) 3631-3634 (1986)

Multiple determination of the optical constants of thin-film coating materials: a Rh sequel

D. E. Aspnes and H. G. Craighead
Appl. Opt. 25(8) 1299-1310 (1986)

Scattering in twin-cavity narrow-band interference filters illuminated by a monochromatic beam

Jun Xiong, Yin-guan Sun, and Gang Hu
Appl. Opt. 36(34) 9014-9020 (1997)