[Click here for a PDF of this post with nicer formatting and figures]
Motivation
In [2] we have a derivation of the Fresnel equations for the TE and TM polarization modes. Can we do this for an arbitrary polarization angles?
Setup
The task at hand is to find evaluate the boundary value constraints. Following the interface plane conventions of [1], and his notation that is
I’ll work here with a phasor representation directly and not bother with taking real parts, or using tilde notation to mark the vectors as complex.
Our complex magnetic field phasors are related to the electric fields with
Referring to figure (see pdf) shows the geometrical task to tackle, since we’ve got to express all the various unit vectors algebraically. I’ll use Geometric Algebra here to do that for its compact expression of rotations. With
Figure: See pdf: Reflection and transmission of light at an interface
we can express each of the vector directions by inspection. Those are
Similarly, the perpendiculars are
In [1] problem 9.14 we had to show that the polarization angles for normal incident () must be the same due to the boundary constraints. Can we also tackle that problem for both this more general angle of incidence and a general polarization? Let’s try so, allowing temporarily for different polarizations of the reflected and transmitted components of the light, calling those polarization angles , , and respectively. Let’s set the polarization aligned such that , are aligned with the and directions respectively, so that the generally polarized phasors are
We are now set to at least express our boundary value constraints
Let’s try this in a couple of steps. First with polarization angles set so that one of the fields lies in the plane of the interface (with both variations), and then attempt the general case, first posing the problem in the tranditional way to see what equations fall out, and then using superposition.
Before doing so, let’s introduce a bit of notation to be used throughout. When we wish to refer to all the fields or angles, for example, then we’ll write where . Similarily, to refer to just the incident and transmitted components (or angles) we’ll use where . Following [1] we’ll also write
Question: Sanity check. Verify for parallel to the interface.
Answer
For the polarization () our phasors are
Our boundary value constraints then become
With substitution this is
Evaluating the grade selections we have a separation into an analogue of real and imaginary parts for
With and 1.2.12b becomes
so that we find 1.2.12b and 1.2.12c are dependent. We are left with a pair of equations
Adding and subtracting we have
with a final rearrangement to yield
Using the and notation above we have
Question: Sanity check. Verify for parallel to the interface.
Answer
As a second sanity check let’s rotate our field polarizations by applying a rotation () so that
This time we have and . Our boundary value equations become
This second equation 1.2.19b is a identity, and the remaining after substitution are
Simplifying we have
We expect an equality
Noting that we find that to be true
we see that 1.2.21a and 1.2.21c are dependent. We are left with the system
with solution
Question: General case. Arbitrary polarization angle.
Determine the set of simulaneous equations that would have to be solved for if the incident polarization angle was allowed to be neither TE nor TM mode.
Answer
Substituting our vector expressions into the boundary value constraints we have
With we want to expand some intermediate multivector products
Our boundary value conditions are then
Note that the wedge product equations above have been separated into and components, yielding two equations each. Because of 1.2.21c, we see that 1.2.31 and 1.2.31 are dependent. Also, as demonstrated in 1.2.12d we see that 1.2.31 and 1.2.31 are also dependent. We can therefore consider only the last four equations (and still have additional linear dependencies to be discovered.)
Let’s write these as
Observe that if (killing all the sine terms) we recover 1.2.14, and with (killing all the cosines) we recover 1.2.24.
Now, if we’ve got a different story. Specifically it appears that should we wish to solve for the reflected and transmitted magnitudes, we also have to simulaneously solve for the polarization angles in the reflected and transmitted directions. This is now a problem of solving four simulaneous equations in two linear and two non-linear variables.
Does it make sense that we would have polarization rotation should our initial polarization angle be rotated? I think so. In dicusssing this problem with Prof Thywissen, he strongly suggested treating the problem as a superposition of two light waves. If we consider that, even without attempting to solve the problem, we see that we must have different reflected and transmitted magnitudes associated with the pair of incident waves since we have to calculate each of these with different Fresnel equations. This would have an effect of scaling and rotating the superimposed reflected and transmitted waves.
Question: General case using using superposition
Using superposition determine the Fresnel equations for an arbitrary incident polarization angle. This should involve solving for both the magnitude and the polarization angle of the reflected and transmitted rays.
Answer
For a polarization of and respectively, we have from problems \ref{fresnelAlternatePolarization:pr1-Answer} and \ref{fresnelAlternatePolarization:pr2-Answer}, or from 1.2.32 we have
We can use these results to consider a polarization of as illustrated in figure (see pdf)
Figure: see pdf: Polarization of incident field to be considered
Our incident, reflected, and transmitted fields are
However, and leaving us with
We find that the reflected and transmitted polarization angles are respectively
where the associated magnitudes are
References
[1] D.J. Griffith. Introduction to Electrodynamics. Prentice-Hall, 1981.
[2] E. Hecht. Optics. 1998.