Plurality of principal angles for a given pseudo-Brewster angle when polarized light is reflected at a dielectric-conductor interface

Abstract

The pseudo-Brewster angle phi(pB) of minimum reflectance for p-polarized light and the principal angle phi at which incident linearly polarized light of the proper azimuth is reflected circularly polarized are considered as functions of the complex relative dielectric function epsilon of a dielectric-conductor interface over the entire complex epsilon plane. In particular, the spread of phi for a given phi (pB) is determined, and the maximum difference(phi -phi(pB))(max) is obtained as a function of phi(pB). The maximum difference (phi -phi(pB))(max) approaches 45 degrees and 0 in the limit as phi(pB)-->phi 0 and 90 degrees , respectively. For phi(pB)<22.666 degrees , multiple principal angles phi (i), i=1,2,3, appear for each epsilon in a subdomain of fractional optical constants. This leads to an elaborate pattern of multiple solution branches for the difference phi (i)-phi(pB), i=1,2,3, as is illustrated by several examples.