Abstract

The reflectance of a homogeneous amplifying layer between two transparent regions is determined theoretically with the help of the Fresnel formulas. The transparent region containing the incident beam has a higher refractive index, corresponding to an internal reflection configuration. In the limit of infinite layer thickness, the reflectance is a continuous monotonic function of incident angle, greater than unity for all angles. For certain finite values of layer thickness, the reflectance has a singular point. The results explain the reported observation of a reflectance of 1000 from an excited laser dye in contact with a quartz prism.

© 1976 Optical Society of America

Internal reflection from an exponential amplifying region

R. F. Cybulski and C. K. Carniglia
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(12) 1620-1627 (1977)

Investigation of light amplification by enhanced internal reflection. Part I. Theoretical reflectance and transmittance of an exponentially nonuniform gain region

R. F. Cybulski and M. P. Silverman
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 73(12) 1732-1738 (1983)

Enhanced total reflection with surface plasmons

G. A. Plotz, H. J. Simon, and J. M. Tucciarone
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 69(3) 419-422 (1979)

Reflection and refraction of an arbitrary electromagnetic wave at a plane interface

John Gasper, George C. Sherman, and Jakob J. Stamnes
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 66(9) 955-961 (1976)

Bragg diffraction of Gaussian beams by periodically modulated media*

Ruey-Shi Chu and Theodor Tamir
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 66(3) 220-226 (1976)