Angle Of Total Internal Reflection Research Articles

Large in-plane asymmetric spin angular shifts of a light beam near the critical angle.

The photonic spin Hall effect (SHE) manifests itself as the transverse and in-plane spin-dependent shifts of a light beam. Normally, the spin shifts are tiny due to the weak spin-orbit coupling. Therefore, it is very important and interesting to explore some effective methods for enhancing this phenomenon. In this Letter, we theoretically propose and experimentally verify a simple method for obtaining large and asymmetric in-plane spin angular shifts when an arbitrary linearly polarized beam reflects near the critical angle (for total internal reflection). The universal expressions of spatial and angular shifts are deduced. Remarkably, by modulating the incident and polarization angles, the left- and right-handed circularly polarized components can be distinguished directly.

A Theoretical Study on Performance and Design Optimization of Linear Dielectric Compound Parabolic Concentrating Photovoltaic Systems

To investigate solar leakage and effects of the geometry of linear dielectric compound parabolic concentrator with a restricted exit angle (DCPC-θa/θe) on the performance of DCPC-θa/θe -based photovoltaic systems (DCPV-θa/θe), a three-dimensional radiation transfer model based on solar geometry and vector algebra is suggested. Analysis shows that the annual radiation loss due to leakage is sensitive to the geometry of DCPCs and tilt-angle adjustment strategy, and the optimal θe,opt for minimizing annual leakage is the one that makes the incidence angle of solar rays on the plane wall equal to the critical incidence angle for total internal reflection at solar-noon in solstices and days when tilt-angle adjustment from site latitude is made for DCPV with the aperture’s tilt-angle being yearly fixed, and adjusted two and four times, respectively. It is found that annual radiation leakage is considerable small, for DCPVs with θe < θe,opt, almost all leaked radiation comes from sky diffuse radiation, whereas for θe = 90°, most of leakage is attributed to direct sunlight. As compared to similar non-concentrating solar cells, more radiation arrives annually on solar cells of DCPV-θa/θe at small angles thanks to refraction of radiation on the aperture, hence, under same operation conditions, the annual average photovoltaic efficiency of solar cells for concentrated radiation is even higher. Analysis also shows that the power increase of DCPVs, being much less than the geometric concentration of DCPCs (Ct), is mainly attributable to optical loss due to absorption of solar rays on the way to the solar cells, and the power loss due to leakage of radiation is not significant. From the point of annual electricity generation, for full DCPVs with a given θa, DCPV-θa/90 are favorable, and for truncated DCPVs with given θa and Ct, DCPVs with θe < 90 are favorable; whereas from the point of contribution per unit volume of dielectric to the annual electricity generation, the situation is reversed.

Fibre-optic sensing in digital microfluidic devices

This work introduces a fibre-optic sensing architecture for digital microfluidic devices. The fibre-optic sensing architecture relies on a change in the total internal reflection angle to detect the presence of microdroplets in contact with fibre-optic cables through lowered optical transmission. The architecture uses m parallel column fibre-optic cables orthogonally overlapped with n parallel row fibre-optic cables to provide the Cartesian coordinates of multiple microdroplets. This creates m × n microdroplet sensing positions, for high localization, with only m + n measurement points, for practical implementation. The contact times of advancing and receding microdroplets are measured using an experimental configuration of the architecture. These contact times are found to be within the acceptable time limitations for high-speed operation of the digital microfluidic device. Ultimately, the fibre-optic sensing architecture is experimentally demonstrated as a three by three architecture for the localization of multiple microdroplets.

Kinetics of electron cooling in metal films at low temperatures and revision of the two-temperature model

The two-temperature model (2TM) introduced by Kaganov, Lifshitz, and Tanatarov is widely used to describe the energy relaxation in the electron–phonon system of a metallic film. At the same time, the accuracy of the description of the electron–phonon system in terms of the 2TM, i.e. on the basis of the electron and phonon temperatures, has not been considered in detail until now. In this paper we present a microscopic theory of cooling of instantly heated electrons in metallic films. In framework of this theory the main features of electron cooling in thick and thin films were found, and an analysis of the accuracy of the 2TM in the low-temperature region was carried out. We consider a more accurate three-temperature model, which (in contrast to the 2TM) explicitly takes into account phonons with angles of incidence exceeding the angle of total internal reflection. The contribution of these phonons to the kinetics of electron relaxation can be significant if the sound velocities in the film and the substrate are quite different.

Exciting surface plasmon polaritons in the Kretschmann configuration by a light beam

We consider exciting surface plasmon polaritons in the Kretschmann configuration. Contrary to common belief, we show that a plane wave incident at an angle greater than the angle of total internal reflection does not excite surface plasmon polaritons. These excitations do arise, however, if the incident light forms a narrow beam composed of an infinite number of plane waves. The surface plasmon polariton is formed at the geometrical edge of the beam as a result of interference of reflected plane waves.

Development of low cost and accurate homemade sensor system based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)

In this paper, we developed homemade and computerized sensor system based on Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). The developed systems consist of mechanical system instrument, laser power sensor, and user interface. The mechanical system development that uses anti-backlash gear design was successfully able to enhance the angular resolution angle of incidence laser up to 0.01°. In this system, the laser detector acquisition system and stepper motor controller utilizing Arduino Uno which is easy to program, flexible, and low cost, was used. Furthermore, we employed LabView’s user interface as the virtual instrument for facilitating the sample measurement and for transforming the data recording directly into the digital form. The test results using gold-deposited half-cylinder prism showed the Total Internal Reflection (TIR) angle of 41,34°± 0,01° and SPR angle of 44,20°± 0,01°, respectively. The result demonstrated that the developed system managed to reduce the measurement duration and data recording errors caused by human error. Also, the test results also concluded that the system’s measurement is repeatable and accurate.

Total internal reflection effect on gyrotropic interface

This article considers the physical features of total internal reflection at gyrotropic and isotropic interfaces for two cases: electrical gyrotropy (plasma) and magnetic gyrotropy (ferrite). It is shown that the plasma magnetization may lead to the formation of the total internal reflection effect, which does not occur in isotropic plasma. The threshold values of the magnetic field, which are necessary for the total internal reflection effect, are determined. The total internal reflection effect on a ferrite-dielectric interface for waves emanating from different angles is observed in various frequency ranges and magnetization fields. The study points out the possibility of changing the total internal reflection angle value in large limits due to a change in the external magnetic field magnitude. The calculation results of the total internal reflection angle dependence on the external magnetic field magnitude are presented. The formulas are elaborated for calculating the total internal reflection angles of different interfaces for gyrotropic and isotropic media. The generalized formulas are defined for calculating the Doppler effect in the gyrotropic media. The study demonstrates how the velocity of the media interface affects the limiting angle of total internal refection.

Angular scanning and variable wavelength surface plasmon resonance allowing free sensor surface selection for optimum material- and bio-sensing

A variable-wavelength Kretschmann configuration surface plasmon resonance (SPR) apparatus with angle scanning is presented. The setup provides the possibility of selecting the optimum wavelength with respect to the properties of the metal layer of the sensorchip, sample matrix, and biomolecular interaction of interest. Monitoring SPR curves over a wide angular range (39°) permits simultaneous determination of the total internal reflection angle (TIR), the resonance angle, and the intensity and width of the SPR dip, which are essential parameters for measuring binding events and achieving optimum sensitivity. The new apparatus was evaluated by recording full SPR curves at different wavelengths ranging from 600 to 890 nm using sensor surfaces of silver, gold and gold with deposited silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide and indium tin oxide which were exposed to air and an aqueous solution of sodium chloride. Clear wavelength dependencies of sensor-material resonance angles and SPR-dip widths were demonstrated. In order to investigate the capability of the system to probe molecular binding to different sensor surfaces, the layer-by-layer adsorption of charged polyelectrolytes was monitored in angular scanning mode at 600, 670, 785, and 890 nm. Although at longer wavelengths lower angular shifts were observed as result of layer deposition, the sharper dip, wider detection window and better signal-to-noise ratios at these wavelengths can be beneficial for binding studies. The applicability for biosensing was tested by immobilizing human serum albumin (HSA) on an aluminum-oxide-coated gold sensor using a new procedure and measuring the binding of anti-HSA antibodies at the optimal wavelength (890 nm) in angular-scanning and fixed-angle mode. The HSA biosensor showed negligible non-specific interaction and yielded almost ten times better sensitivity than obtained with a conventional gold-dextran-based sensor operated at 670/785 nm. Analysis of anti-HSA samples pre-incubated with different concentrations of HSA allowed measurement of the IC50 value. The reported data demonstrate the usefulness of the presented variable-wavelength angle-scanning SPR instrument, permitting continuous recording of full SPR curves in time at any selected wavelength in the 600–890 nm range using a sensor material of choice.

Optimization of The Mechanical Drive on Set-up of Homemade Surface Plasmon Resonance

Mechanical optimization has been done on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) homemade. At set-up, angle scanning comes a small resolution to detect changes in the thickness of the thin film or refractive index of the sample. The mechanical drive has a function to rotate the prism and detector. Torsional Spring-Loaded Gear Antibacklash is used to improve the accuracy of the mechanical drive. The stepper motor is used to rotate the mechanical drive automatically. The built system has successfully increased the resolution of the prism rotation angle by 0.01°. The test using the blank prism indicates the angle of Total Internal Reflection occurs at an incident angle of 41.80 °. The SPR phenomenon was observed in a thin layer of gold deposited on the prism using a vacuum evaporator. The observed SPR angles on samples A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I were 45.02°, 45.05°, 46.30°, 44.48°, 44.70°, 45.49°, 45.52°, 45.66°, and 44.44°, respectively. The SPR angle change shows the difference in the thickness of the gold thin film.

Fast electro-optical response of a cell with a homeoplanar layer of a nematic liquid crystal

The refraction of light, i.e., the turn of an extraordinary ray in the liquid crystal layer similar to total internal reflection at an interface between two media, has been studied in a cell with the homeoplanar orientation of the director. The rise, τon, and decay, τoff, times of optical responses have been obtained for various angles of incidence of light on a liquid crystal layer subjected to an electric field. The times τon and τoff of optical responses for the angles of incidence much larger than the angle of total internal reflection are 1–2 ms, which is three orders of magnitude smaller than the relaxation time of an optical response in the case of normal incidence of the ray.

Revisiting the effective medium approximation in all-dielectric subwavelength multilayers: Breakdown and rebuilding

Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the effective medium approximation (EMA) breakdown in all-dielectric deep-subwavelength multilayers made of alternating layers by means of the transfer matrix method. We demonstrated that the approximation is invalid at the vicinity of the effective medium's critical angle for total internal reflection and obtained an analytical criterion for the breakdown of the EMA, which depends on the layer thickness, the incident angle, and the permittivity difference between the alternate layers. We rebuilt the EMA by adding higher-order correction onto the traditional effective permittivity. Furthermore, we found that the EMA breakdown that arises from the boundary effect cannot be repaired in the traditional homogenization strategy with only one layer of effective medium. By adding an artificial matched layer after the conventional effective layer, the boundary effect breakdown was neatly removed.

Refractive index measurements of photo-resists for three-dimensional direct laser writing

Femtosecond 3D printing is an important technology for manufacturing of nano- and microscopic devices and elements. Crucial for the design of such structures is the detailed knowledge of the refractive index in the visible and near-infrared spectral range and its dispersion. Here, we characterize 5 photoresists that are used with femtosecond 3D direct laser writers, namely IP-S, IP-Dip, IP-L, IP-G, and OrmoComp with a modified and automized Pulfrich refractometer setup, utilizing critical angles of total internal reflection. We achieve an accuracy of 5⋅10−4 and reference our values to a BK-7 glass plate. We also give Abbe numbers and Schott Catalog numbers of the different resists. Their refractive indices are in the 1.49-1.57 range, while their Abbe numbers are in the range between 35 and 51.

Supercritical angle Raman microscopy: a surface-sensitive nanoscale technique without field enhancement

Raman scattering microscopy is a versatile tool for label-free imaging and molecular fingerprint analysis. Here, we provide the first demonstration that the selective collection of scattered signals exceeding the critical angle for total internal reflection enables surface-confined spontaneous Raman investigations at nanometre resolution. This high-axial selectivity leads to improved signal-to-background ratios, thus making this technique an excellent probe for surface-related molecular specimens. The richness of the spectroscopic information obtained through the supercritical angle Raman (SAR) collection path was proven by comparing its output with that of a parallel far-field collection path. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the proposed SAR technique is a versatile microscopy approach that can be used alone or in combination with amplified Raman modalities such as surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering.

Fabrication of broadband absorbing coatings for amplified spontaneous emission suppression.

Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) is a critical factor that limits the output power of slab lasers. To suppress the ASE effect in slab lasers, this paper proposes a metal/dielectric broadband absorbing coating between the laser gain medium and the metal heat sink to suppress ASE from zero to total internal reflection angle on the facet from inside the laser medium. Based on accurate characterization of Cr metal thin films, Cr/SiO2 broadband absorbing films for 1064 nm YAG slab lasers are designed and fabricated to suppress ASE. The good agreement between experiment and design shows the reliability to suppress ASE in slab lasers.

Generalized Vector Laws of Reflection and Refraction of Forward and Backward Waves in the Presence of a Metasurface

Vector formulations of laws of reflection and refraction of plane electromagnetic waves from the plane metasurface that separates two isotropic media and is characterized by phase gradients are obtained and analyzed. The media support the forward or backward normal waves that differ by identifiers. Critical angles of total internal reflection are presented, and conditions of occurrence of negative refraction and negative reflection are specified. Retroreflection and special cases of wave refraction are considered, and restrictions on the metasurface parameters are given.

Experimental and numerical studies of the scattering of light from a two-dimensional randomly rough interface in the presence of total internal reflection: optical Yoneda peaks.

The scattering of polarized light from a dielectric film sandwiched between two different semi-infinite dielectric media is studied experimentally and theoretically. The illuminated interface is planar, while the back interface is a two-dimensional randomly rough interface. We consider here only the case in which the medium of incidence is optically more dense than the substrate, in which case effects due to the presence of a critical angle for total internal reflection occur. A reduced Rayleigh equation for the scattering amplitudes is solved by a rigorous, purely numerical, nonperturbative approach. The solutions are used to calculate the reflectivity of the structure and the mean differential reflection coefficient. Optical analogues of Yoneda peaks are present in the results obtained. The computational results are compared with experimental data for the in-plane mean differential reflection coefficient, and good agreement between theory and experiment is found.

Operator approach to effective medium theory to overcome a breakdown of Maxwell Garnett approximation

We elaborate on an operator approach to effective medium theory for homogenization of the periodic multilayered structures composed of nonmagnetic isotropic materials, which is based on equating the spatial evolution operators for the original structure and its effective alternative. We show that the zeroth-, first-, and second-order approximations of the operator effective medium theory correspond to electric dipoles, chirality, and magnetic dipoles plus electric quadrupoles, respectively. We discover that the spatially dispersive bianisotropic effective medium obtained in the second-order approximation perfectly replaces a multilayered composite and does not suffer from the effective medium approximation breakdown that happened near the critical angle of total internal reflection found previously in the conventional effective medium theory. We establish the criterion of the validity of the conventional effective medium theory depending on the ratio of unit-cell length to the wavelength, the number of unit cells, and the angle of incidence. The operator approach to effective medium theory is applicable for periodic and nonperiodic layered systems, being a fruitful tool in the fields of metamaterials and subwavelength nanophotonics.

P-112: To Enhance Light Lumination of OLED Lighting by Film Included Fish Scales

An optical device was provided to address light luminance efficiency of OLED up to 100%. PDMS were used as the base material of optical film to avoid total internal reflection angle. Fish scales were chosen to be placed onto the optical film.

Resonance compression of an acoustic beam in a crystal

The resonance excitation of an intense acoustic beam in a crystal is described for a special geometry of pump-wave reflection from the crystal surface. The resonance appears in the vicinity of the total internal reflection angle under the condition that the wave field in a compressed reflected beam propagating almost parallel to the surface is close to the volume eigenmode satisfying the free boundary condition. Criteria for the existence of such modes are considered in detail. Conversion conditions are analyzed under which a “parasitic” reflected wave of the same branch as the incident wave is absent and entire energy from the incident wave falls within a narrow intense acoustic beam of another branch. It is shown that, when the surface is chosen parallel to the crystal symmetry plane, the conversion criterion is reduced to the sole condition on the elastic moduli of the medium. Analysis is performed by analytic and numerical methods for skew cuts of monoclinic, rhombic, trigonal, and hexagonal crystals, when the boundary is the symmetry plane, while the sagittal plane has no symmetry. A number of crystals are found in which resonance excitation is very close to conversion.

Simultaneous Surface-Near and Solution Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy.

We report the first simultaneous measurement of surface-confined and solution fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). We use an optical configuration for tightly focused excitation and separate detection of light emitted below (undercritical angle fluorescence, UAF) and above (supercritical angle fluorescence, SAF) the critical angle of total internal reflection of the coverslip/sample interface. This creates two laterally coincident detection volumes which differ in their axial extent. While detection of far-field UAF emission producesa standard confocal volume, near-field-mediated SAF produces a highly surface-confined detection volume at the coverslip/sample interface which extends only ~200 nm into the sample. A characterization of the two detection volumes by FCS of free diffusion is presented and compared with analytical models and simulations. The presented FCS technique allows to determine bulk solution concentrations and surface-near concentrations at the same time.