Abstract

The enhanced-transmission effect, manifested as a narrow peak in the angular distribution of the intensity of diffuse scattered light in the antispecular direction, was experimentally investigated by passage of a p-polarized laser beam through a metal film deposited upon a glass substrate. The peak is the analog of enhanced backscattering in the reflection of light from a randomly rough-metal surface. A fully automated, bidirectional reflectometer was used to measure the enhanced transmission of surfaces coated with gold and silver under illumination by a He–Ne laser. The experimental results are compared with those obtained recently by a perturbation theory of the localization of surface polaritons.

© 1991 Optical Society of America

Coherence in the single and multiple scattering of light from randomly rough surfaces

Zu-Han Gu, Jun Q. Lu, Alexei A. Maradudin, Amalia Martinez, and E. R. Mendez
Appl. Opt. 32(15) 2852-2859 (1993)

Enhanced backscattering of light from weakly rough, random metal surfaces

A. A. Maradudin and E. R. Méndez
Appl. Opt. 32(19) 3335-3343 (1993)

Experimental study of the opposition effect in the scattering of light from a randomly rough metal surface

Zu-Han Gu, Richard S. Dummer, A. Maradudin, and Arthur R. McGurn
Appl. Opt. 28(3) 537-543 (1989)

Some aspects of light scattering from a randomly rough metal surface

V. Celli, A. A. Maradudin, A. M. Marvin, and A. R. McGurn
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 2(12) 2225-2239 (1985)

Observations of backscattering enhancement from polaritons on a rough metal surface

C. S. West and K. A. O’Donnell
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 12(2) 390-397 (1995)