Do Spectral Reflectance Curves Change with Different Surrounding Media?

[picobyte88]

Hello,

Are spectral reflectance curves dependent on the interface between the reflector and surrounding medium? For example would they be different if I had a silver mirror in air compared with silver mirror in a semiconductor? I think they would be because of the refractive index contrast, or are spectral reflectance curves just dependent on direction of light and material properties of the reflector?

Thanks!
Sophia

 

[Andy Resnick]

Yes- the Fresnel reflection coefficients involve both refractive indices.