Abstract

The reflection from and transmission through a semi-infinite chiral medium are analyzed by obtaining the Fresnel equations in terms of parallel- and perpendicular-polarized modes, and a comparison is made with results reported previously. The chiral medium is described electromagnetically by the constitutive relations D = ∊E + iγB and H = iγE + (1/μ)B. The constants ∊, μ, and γ are real and have values that are fixed by the size, the shape, and the spatial distribution of the elements that collectively compose the medium. The conditions are obtained for the total internal reflection of the incident wave from the interface and for the existence of the Brewster angle. The effects of the chirality on the polarization and the intensity of the reflected wave from the chiral half-space are discussed and illustrated by using the Stokes parameters. The propagation of electromagnetic waves through an infinite slab of chiral medium is formulated for oblique incidence and solved analytically for the case of normal incidence.

© 1988 Optical Society of America

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