Abstract

Monochromatic light, which is polarized in an arbitrary state, is totally internally reflected at angle of incidence $\varphi =45°$ without change of polarization by a right-angle prism of refractive index $n_0=1+1∕\sqrt{2}=1.70711$ (e.g., N-LAK8 Schott glass at wavelength $\lambda =706\mathrm{nm}$), which is coated with a transparent thin film of refractive index $n_1={(1+1∕\sqrt{2})}^{1∕2}=1.30656$ (e.g., vacuum-deposited fluoride material) and of metric thickness equal to half of the vacuum wavelength of incident light, $d=\lambda ∕2$. The ambient medium of evanescent refraction is assumed to be vacuum, air, or an inert gas. Wavelength shifts of $\pm 50\mathrm{nm}$, or changes of the internal angle of incidence of $\pm 1°$ around 45°, cause phase errors of only a few degrees. The reflected and incident polarization states are nearly identical in the presence of such small phase errors.

© 2009 Optical Society of America

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