Microscopic theory of a transition layer on the ideal surface of semiinfinite dielectric media and the near-field effect

Abstract

The microscopic theory of a transitional layer on the ideal surface of a semi-infinite absorbing or nonabsorbing isotropic dielectric is developed within the framework of classical optics when the polarization vector of the medium is a linear function of the electric field strength inside the medium. The concentration of atoms (molecules) of the medium and their polarizability are independent of coordinates and are constant inside the medium and close to its surface. The consideration is carried out within the framework of the concept of a discrete-continuous dielectric, in which the fields of dipoles of discretely distributed atoms (molecules) inside the Lorentz sphere surrounding the observation point are taken into account. The near-field effect is shown to result in a nonexponential behavior of the field nearby the surface. The thickness of the transitional layer can be found from experimental values of the reflected wave amplitude.