Abstract

A general rule for the stability of plane reflecting surface systems is derived by use of the features of the reflection matrix. It is proved that only two directions can be stable: the forward direction and the backward direction (retroreflection). Examples for the application of this rule in the design of stable reflecting systems for optical communication are given.

© 1998 Optical Society of America

Classification of stable configurations of plane mirrors

Yaakov Friedman and Naftali Schweitzer
Appl. Opt. 37(31) 7229-7234 (1998)

Design of optically stable reflector systems and prisms

Chuang-Yu Tsai and Psang Dain Lin
Appl. Opt. 47(22) 4158-4163 (2008)

Design of optically stable image reflector system

Chung-Yu Tsai
Appl. Opt. 52(22) 5385-5392 (2013)

Improved system calibration for specular surface measurement by using reflections from a plane mirror

Tian Zhou, Kun Chen, Haoyun Wei, and Yan Li
Appl. Opt. 55(25) 7018-7028 (2016)

Interferometer for small-angle measurement based on total internal reflection

Weidong Zhou and Lilong Cai
Appl. Opt. 37(25) 5957-5963 (1998)