Thin-film optics

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Dichroic filters
are created using thin film optics.
Thin film interference caused by ITO defrosting coating on an Airbus
cockpit window. The film thickness is intentionally non-uniform to provide even heating at different distances from the electrodes.
interference
between white light being reflected from the surface of a thin film of diesel fuel on the surface of water, and the diesel-water interface.
Hafnium oxidized ingots which exhibits thin film optical effects.

Thin-film optics is the branch of

interference and the difference in refractive index between the layers, the air, and the substrate. These effects alter the way the optic reflects and transmits light. This effect, known as thin-film interference, is observable in soap bubbles
and oil slicks.

More general periodic structures, not limited to planar layers, exhibit structural coloration with more complex dependence on angle, and are known as photonic crystals.

In manufacturing,

deposition of one or more thin layers of material onto a substrate (usually glass). This is most often done using a physical vapor deposition process, such as evaporation deposition or sputter deposition, or a chemical process such as chemical vapor deposition
.

Thin films are used to create

optical filters and mirrors. Another application of these coatings is spatial filtering.[2]

Examples in the natural world

Thin-film layers are common in the natural world. Their effects produce colors seen in soap bubbles and oil slicks, as well as the

buttercups, the flower's gloss is due to a thin-film, which enhances the flower's visibility to pollinating insects and aids in temperature regulation of the plant's reproductive organs.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Knittl, Z. (1981). Optics of thin films. John Wiley.
  2. S2CID 2259478
    .
  3. ^
    doi:10.1016/j.matpr.2014.09.007
    .
  4. PMID 21159676
    .
  5. ^
    PMID 28228540
    .
  6. ^ Buttercups focus light to heat their flowers and attract insects New Scientist 25 February 2017

Further reading

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