The transmittance and reflectance of an array of parallel-plate waveguides varies with the frequency and angle of the incident light. To solve for the transmittance and reflectance of the device, the two-dimensional wave equation is analyzed and treated as a Sturm-Liouville Eigenvalue problem. The incident light is modeled as a finite Gaussian beam; in contrast to a plane wave which only propagates in one direction, Gaussian beams’ angular spectra have a non-zero bandwidth and thus propagate in multiple directions. So, when a Gaussian beam is shined upon a device with angle-dependent transmittance and reflectance, the transmitted and reflected beams have new, complex angular spectra, manifesting phenomena such as translation, dilation, and splitting.
Each year, Brown University showcases the research of its undergraduates at the Summer Research Symposium. More than half of the student-researchers are UTRA recipients, while others receive funding from a variety of Brown-administered and national programs and fellowships and go …
