Some Observations on Absorbing Multilayers

Abstract

Three aspects of absorbing optical thin films are discussed. First, the reflectance of a multilayer necessary to maximize the potential transmittance of a single metal film is obtained explicitly in terms of the thickness and refractive index of the film. Second, the form of the standing wave in a metal film at maximum potential transmittance is determined. Third, a technique for the design of an asymmetric mirror is presented. A numerical example is included.