Propagation and reflection phases

ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/paper-2/section-b/b9/propagation-and-reflection-phases

Let the first ray reflect at the upper surface and the second traverse the film, reflect below, and emerge at a laterally displaced point. Its internal round-trip geometric length is , but the external path to a common outgoing wavefront must also be included. The lateral separation is , whose projection along the external ray is . The net optical path difference is therefore
using Snell's law . Multiplying by the vacuum wavenumber gives
For the usual index ordering , including the stated later value , both reflections are towards higher refractive index and both reverse the electric-field sign. Their relative reflection phase is therefore zero; is also their total relative phase modulo . A different index ordering or polarization-dependent reflection phase would require that additional term.

New to topics? Read the docs here!