The transverse magnetic reflectivity minimum of metals
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Scalable Solution-processed Fabrication Strategy for High-performance, Flexible, Transparent Electrodes with Embedded Metal Mesh
Published on: June 23, 2017
I R Hooper1, J R Sambles, A P Bassom
1Electromagnetic Materials, School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK.
Abstract:
Metal surfaces, which are generally regarded as excellent reflectors of electromagnetic radiation, may, at high angles of incidence, become strong absorbers for transverse magnetic radiation. This effect, often referred to as the pseudo-Brewster angle, results in a reflectivity minimum, and is most strongly evident in the microwave domain, where metals are often treated as perfect conductors. A detailed analysis of this reflectivity minimum is presented here and it is shown why, in the limit of very long wavelengths, metals close to grazing incidence have a minimum in reflectance given by (square root 2-1)2.
More Related Videos
06:17Quantifying the Relative Thickness of Conductive Ferromagnetic Materials Using Detector Coil-Based Pulsed Eddy Current Sensors
Published on: January 16, 2020
06:53Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks
Published on: June 9, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Magnetic Susceptibility and Permeability
When diamagnetic materials are placed under an external magnetic field, the moments opposite to the field are induced. Hence, the susceptibility for diamagnets has a minimal negative value of 10-5–10-6. Since...
Ferromagnetism
Magnetostatic Boundary Conditions
Magnetic Field Of A Current Loop
Eddy Currents
Other major applications of eddy currents appear in metal detectors and the braking systems of trains and roller...
Diamagnetism
Diamagnetism was discovered by Anton Brugmans in 1778 when he observed that bismuth gets repelled by magnetic fields, thus theorizing that diamagnets get repelled by magnets.