Reflection and Refraction of
Plane Waves
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Reflection
• When a wave is progressing from one medium
to another medium
--- impedance of the medium changes.
• This is called impedance as
--- discontinuous or mismatch or irregular or
nonuniformity
• Wherever there exists impedance
discontinuity there exists reflection
• If unit vector corresponds to direction of
propagation is normal to interface then it is
called normal incidence.
• If unit vector corresponds to direction of
propagation makes an angle with the unit
vector normal to interface is called oblique
incidence.
Reflection: Normal Incidence
• In medium 1, there exists two sets of electric
and magnetic fields (incident & reflected)
• In medium 2, there exists one set of electric
and magnetic field (transmitted)
• Across the interface these fields are tangential
to interface.
• From boundary conditions, tangential
components of electric and magnetic field are
continuous.
• Using the boundary conditions,
• (Electric fields)
• (Magnetic fields)
• Defining reflection coefficient as a ratio of
reflected electric field to incident electric field
• Similarly,
• Transmission coefficient defined as a ratio of
transmitted electric field to incident electric
field
• If η1 = η2 ,Γ = 0 , then τ = 1
→ reflections are zero
• If medium 2 is perfect conductor
→ η2 = 0
• Then Γ = -1 = 1∟180 deg ; τ = 0
→ No transmission takes place
• Wave propagation through a perfect conductor is
not possible, complete reflection takes place.
Reflections: Oblique Incidence
• If vector corresponds to direction of
propagation makes an angle with unit vector
normal to interface is called oblique incidence.
• k-propagation constant as a vector.
• Ki, kr, kt – vectors corresponds to direction of
propagation of incident, reflection and
transmitted waves.
• The unit vector normal to the interface is az
• Electric field is parallel to the plane of
incidence.
• Hence it is parallel polarization.
The above two equations are called Fresnel’s equations.
The plane of incidence is defined by the incoming radiation's
propagation vector and the normal vector of the surface.
• Brewster angle (θB): It is that particular angle
of incidence for which no reflection takes place.
• The Brewster angle is also known as the
polarizing angle because an arbitrarily
polarized incident wave will be reflected with
only the component of E perpendicular to the
plane of incidence.
• The Brewster effect is utilized in a laser tube
where quartz windows are set at the Brewster
angle to control polarization of emitted light.
• The Brewster angle is obtained by setting
• When
• Then
showing that there is a Brewster angle for any
combination of ε1 and ε2.
Total Internal Reflection:
• When a wave is incident from the denser
medium into a rarer medium at an angle equal
to or greater than the critical angle, the wave
will be totally internally reflected back.
• This phenomena is called Total Internal
Reflection.
• This is the critical angle at which there is no
refracted (Txed) wave.
E parallel to POI
E parallel to POI
• E is polarized in the plane of page.
• H perpendicular to plane of page.
• plane of page - plane of Incidence.
• It is the distance or plane travelled by the incident
k vector and normal to the surface.
• E is parallel to the POI.
• H is perpendicular to the POI.
• H is transverse to the direction normal to the
interface.
• Also called TM polarization or vertical
polarization.
E perpendicular to POI
E perpendicular to the POI
• Here fields directions have been rotated by 90
deg.
• H lies in the POI.
• E is perpendicular to the POI.
• As E is used to define polarization, the
configuration is called perpendicular polarization.
• E is parallel to the interface.
• TE polarization or Horizontal polarization.
Numerical
1. In a nonmagnetic medium
Find a) εr, η
b) The time average power carried by the wave
c) The total power crossing 100cm2 of plane
2x+y=5
2. In free space (z ≤ 0), a plane wave with
is incident
normally on a lossless medium (ε = 2 ε0, μ = 8
μ0) in region z ≥ 0. determine the reflected
wave and transmitted wave.
3. Consider the interface z = 0 separates 2
mediums, the medium < 0 is air and medium z
> 0 is perfect conductor.
A wave whose electric field in the air is given by
• Find incident magnetic field, reflected electric
and magnetic field and transmitted electric
and magnetic field and also find average
poynting vector of the incident, reflected and
transmitted waves.
4. What are the reflection and transmission
coefficients of an electric field wave that is
travelling in air and is incident normally on a
boundary that is between air and a dielectric
medium. Assume μr= 8, εr = 2