Optics: Reversing a Nuetral Density Filter

[coucher630]

I'm conducting a heat transfer analysis on an instrument, but must first overcome my apparent lack of knowledge of optics.

Light is incident on a neutral density filter. The ND filter consists of 0.050" thick quartz with a a negligibly thin metal coating with emissivity of 0.065 on the surface that is exposed to the light. In this configuration, the transmissivity of filter is 0.01. However, I need to know what happens when the filter is flipped. That is, when the quartz is the surface that is exposed to the light, and the metal coating is on the bottom of the filter, what happens to the transmissivity?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

It will depend on the coating on the uncoated side, I could see it being either the same or less depending on surface reflection/transmission...

 

[sophiecentaur]

For this sort of use, there would be no difference in total energy transmitted. However, for photographic use, the effect on a final image could be that the amount of flare (due to multiple reflections) could be worse with anti reflection surface in the 'wrong' place.

 

[coucher630]

Are there sample problems or instructional texts somewhere that go over light/energy transmission through layered optical mediums?

 

[Mech_Engineer]

Are there sample problems or instructional texts somewhere that go over light/energy transmission through layered optical mediums?

Sure, any optical engineering textbook.