MOLECULAR OPTICS APPROACH TO ELECTROMAGNETIC-WAVE INTERACTIONS WITH STRATIFIED MEDIA

The problem of electromagnetic wave interaction with a stratified diel ectric medium is solved in the framework of molecular optics, leading to a new derivation for the refraction and reflection laws at stratifi ed media interfaces. In addition, the solution confirms the Lorentz-Lo renz refractive index formula characterizing the transverse propagatio n modes and the characteristic frequencies associated with the longitu dinal mode. The analytic results presented in this study support the e xistence of another longitudinal mode propagating with the vacuum wave number within the medium, and they provide a new concept for the Ewal d-Oseen extinction theorem. Other new results of this study are that ( 1) the relation between Fresnel horizontal and vertical reflection coe fficients and the relation between the corresponding transmission coef ficients are revealed and (2) a new concept is presented for the Brews ter angle, and (3) the concept is introduced of multiple reflections i n formulating the reflection coefficient at the interface between two different dielectric materials. (C) 1996 Optical Society of America.