Reflection Reducing Coatings

doi:10.1117/3.548071.ch4

Book: Optical Coating Technology

Author(s): Philip W. Baumeister

Published: 2004

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.548071.ch4

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

Reduction of the reflectance R of a surface produces either of two effects: (1) If the material below the surface is opaque, the radiant absorption increases (see Â§8.5 and Â§4.4.3); or (2) if the material is transparent, such as a slab of glass, its overall transmittance is enhanced. For the latter effect, English lacks the proper verb equivalent to the Russian Ð¿ÑÐ¾ÑÐ²ÐµÑÐ»ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ðµ (prosvetleniya), which translates as âclarification,â âbrighteningâ or âto make more transparent.â Although antireflection (âto be against reflectionâ) is adequate as an adjective or noun, it is quite awkward as a verb. This void in the English language could be filled by the transitive verb dereflect â it is not distant from the German Entspiegelung. It could appear in a sentence: âSF-10 glass is dereflected at 633 nm by a two-layer antireflection coating.â The verb stems from Latin: reflectare (âto reflectâ) and de (âremoval ofâ). This and the acronym AR (for antireflection) are used in this chapter which surveys antireflection coating design. Procedures are emphasized and, where possible, mathematical details are relegated to appendices.