What does divergence in the reflectivity mean?

In summary, the two papers discussed the concept of design surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on corrugated surfaces, using them as an effective medium dielectric to calculate the dispersion relation formula. The reasoning behind this technique is that the surface mode resonance corresponds to a divergence in the reflectivity, which can exist even for a vanishingly small excitation. The reflectivity is defined as the measure of light reflected from a surface, and in the case of these papers, it reaches infinite when the divergence between air and the effective medium dielectric reaches zero. This means that the light is being completely absorbed by the dielectric material.
  • #1
Dale12
19
1
Recently I was reading some paper on design surface plasmon polaritons(so called "SPPs") on corrugated surfaces, mainly these two papers listed below:

1.Pendry, J. B., et al. (2004). "Mimicking surface plasmons with structured surfaces." Science 305(5685): 847-848.

2.Garcia-Vidal, F. J., et al. (2005). "Surfaces with holes in them: new plasmonic metamaterials." Journal of Optics a-Pure and Applied Optics 7(2): S97-S101.

It shows that bound electromagnetic surface waves mimicking SPPs can be sustained even by a perfect conductor.

in these two papers, they just take corrugated surfaces as an effective medium dielectric, and calculate the dispersion relation formula from the divergence of the reflectivity between air and effecective medium.

It is comment by "Maier, S. A. (2007). Plasmonics: fundamentals and applications, Springer Verlag." that: the reasoning behind this technique is that the surface mode resonance corresponds to a divergence in the reflectivity - the mode can exist for a vanishingly small excitation.

As I know, the max value of reflectivity is 1, so as these 2 papers treat denominator of reflectivity as zero and make it infinite. I am puzzled here.

Could anyone help me? thanks for any reply!
 
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  • #2
It sounds like you are a bit confused about the concept of reflectivity in these two papers. Reflectivity is defined as a measure of how much light is reflected from a surface compared to how much light is incident on it. In the case of the two papers you mentioned, the reflectivity is calculated as the divergence between air and an effective medium dielectric. When this divergence reaches zero, the reflectivity is said to be infinite, meaning that no light is reflected. This is because the light is being completely absorbed by the dielectric material. Hope that helps!
 

1. What is divergence in the reflectivity?

Divergence in the reflectivity refers to the difference in the amount of light that is reflected off of a surface at different angles. This can occur due to changes in the surface texture, composition, or angle of incidence of the light.

2. How is divergence in the reflectivity measured?

Divergence in the reflectivity can be measured using a variety of instruments, such as a spectrophotometer or a scatterometer. These instruments measure the amount of light reflected at different angles and can provide a quantitative measurement of the divergence.

3. What causes divergence in the reflectivity?

There are several factors that can cause divergence in the reflectivity. One major factor is the surface texture, as a rougher surface will reflect light at different angles compared to a smoother surface. Additionally, the composition of the surface and the angle of incidence of the light can also impact the amount of light reflected at different angles.

4. How does divergence in the reflectivity impact light scattering?

Divergence in the reflectivity can significantly impact light scattering. When there is a large divergence in the reflectivity, it means that light is being reflected at a wide range of angles, resulting in a scattered or diffuse reflection. This can affect the appearance and perceived color of an object, as well as its visibility.

5. Can divergence in the reflectivity be controlled or reduced?

Yes, divergence in the reflectivity can be controlled or reduced through various methods. For example, using a smoother surface or a surface with a consistent composition can result in less divergence in the reflectivity. Additionally, using coatings or treatments can also help to reduce the amount of light reflected at different angles.

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