An analysis of a monochromatic plane wave’s reflection at a nonlinear interface is presented that constitutes a generalization and an extension of previous studies on this subject. We examine the influence of self-focusing and self-defocusing Kerr media on total and partial reflection states. We consider the whole range of angles of incidence and four types of media interfaces. In our model we do not apply the slowly varying amplitude approximation, and we give analytical real positive nonoscillating solutions to the nonlinear differential wave equations in total and partial reflection cases. For each case we also derive relations between the amplitude reflectance and input intensity, which indicate that in some situations the wave’s behavior at a nonlinear interface is governed by the nonlinear critical and the nonlinear characteristic angles. It is pointed out that the reflection states change bistably. We show, for different angles of incidence, the ranges in which the effective permittivity of nonlinear media can be changed via the incident intensity.

© 1998 Optical Society of America

[Optical Society of America ]

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