Optical Thin Film Design

Andrew Sarangan

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9780429751745
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Ingeniería eléctrica y telecomunicaciones

Thin-film coatings are universal on optical components such as displays, lenses, mirrors, cameras, and windows and serve a variety of functions such as antireflection, high reflection, and spectral filtering. Designs can be as simple as a single-layer dielectric for antireflection effects or very complex with hundreds of layers for producing elaborate spectral filtering effects. Starting from basic principles of electromagnetics, design techniques are progressively introduced toward more intricate optical filter designs, numerical optimization techniques, and production methods, as well as emerging areas such as phase change materials and metal film optics. Worked examples, Python computer codes, and instructor problem sets are included.

Key Features:

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• Starting from the basic principles of electromagnetics, topics are built in a pedagogic manner toward intricate filter designs, numerical optimization and production methods.

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• Discusses thin-film applications and design from simple single-layer effects to complex several-hundred-layer spectral filtering.

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• Includes modern topics such as phase change materials and metal film optics.

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• Includes worked examples, problem sets, and numerical examples with Python codes.

1 Fundamental Concepts

1.1 Optical Thin Films

Thin film coatings are ubiquitous on all optical components such as lenses, mirrors, cameras, and windows. The design can be as simple as a single dielectric antireflection film, or very complex with several hundred layers of films for producing elaborate optical filtering effects. A typical design will consist of a number of layers deposited sequentially on a substrate as shown in Figure 1.1, on one side of the substrate or on both sides depending on the specific application. The number of layers will depend greatly on the substrate material, desired spectral features, and the availability of coating materials. While transparent dielectrics are the most widely used thin film materials, metals and semiconductors can also be used where additional features such as electrical conductivity and broadband reflectivity are desired.

Figure 1.1 A typical optical thin film structure deposited on both sides of a substrate.

The design process involves exploiting the fundamental concepts described in the remainder of this book to come up with a layer structure that will approximately yield the desired spectral characteristics. The design method will be driven by the type of spectral characteristics desired (i.e., whether it is an antireflection, bandpass, long-pass, etc.). The desired performance at specific wavelengths, or at a range of wavelengths, will also have to be defined. This will require knowledge of the thin film materials that can be used for implementing the design. Once a structure that...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Author
• Chapter 1 Fundamental Concepts
• Chapter 2 Optical Thin Film Materials
• Chapter 3 Single-Layer Antireflection Theory
• Chapter 4 Transfer Matrix Method
• Chapter 5 Multilayer Antireflection Theory
• Chapter 6 High-Reflection Designs
• Chapter 7 Herpin Equivalence Principle
• Chapter 8 Edge Filters
• Chapter 9 Line-Pass Filters
• Chapter 10 Bandpass Filters
• Chapter 11 Thin-Film Designs for Oblique Incidence
• Chapter 12 Metal Film Optics
• Chapter 13 Thin-Film Designs Using Phase Change Materials
• Chapter 14 Deposition Methods
• Chapter 15 Python Computer Code
• Index