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Influence of multiple reflections on transmission through a stack of plates
W L Schaich1, George E Ewing, Robert L Karlinsey
1Physics Department, Indiana University, Bloomington 47405, USA. schaich@indiana.edu
Applied Optics
|September 2, 2006
Summary
Light transmission through disordered plates is modeled. Averaging over incident light wavelengths suppresses fluctuations, aligning with experimental data and highlighting the role of multiple reflections in photometry.
Area of Science:
- Optics
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Light transmission through layered materials is crucial in various optical applications.
- Disorder in plate thickness and separation can significantly affect light propagation.
- Understanding multiple reflections is key to accurate photometric measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model light transmission through a stack of flat plates with varying thicknesses and separations.
- To investigate the impact of disorder and incident wavelength distribution on light transmission.
- To explore the role of multiple reflections in photometric measurements.
Main Methods:
- Exact calculations for light transmission through a stack of plates.
- Averaging techniques to account for disorder and wavelength distribution.
- Model calculations to analyze the suppression of fluctuations.
Main Results:
- Averaging over the light's distribution effectively suppresses fluctuations caused by disorder.
- Model results show qualitative agreement with experimental data.
- Multiple reflections are shown to contribute significantly to measured light transmission.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a theoretical framework for understanding light transmission in disordered layered systems.
- Averaging over wavelength distribution is a valid method to mitigate disorder effects.
- Multiple reflections play a critical role in photometry and require careful consideration.
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