memorandum

Transformation of a Gaussian beam passing a slab at the

Brewster’s angle

Jyhpyng Wang
Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica
P. O. Box 23-166, Taipei, 106 Taiwan
(Dated: April 3, 2014)

Abstract
In this note wave optics instead of ray optics is employed to calculate the transformation of a
Gaussian beam passing a slab at the Brewster’s angle.

1
 For a Gaussian beam entering a slab of thickness d at the Brewster’s angle θB , the
incidence angle is related to the index of refraction n by

tan θB = n.

Because of the asymmetry between the sagittal and tangential planes, we shall consider
these two cases separately.

I. THE SAGITTAL PLANE

In the sagittal plane let us denote the field outside the slab at the entrance interface as
( 2) ( 2)
iky y
u(y) = u0 exp exp − 2
2R w

and the field inside the slab at the entrance interface as

( ) ( ′2 )
′ ′ ′ inky ′2 y
u (y ) = u0 exp exp − 2 .
2Ry wy

In the sagittal plane y ′ = y. Since the field must be continuous at the surface, one has

Ry = nR

and
wy = w.

Let the q-parameter inside the slab be qy

1 1 2i
= + .
qy Ry nkwy2

The propagation distance inside the slab is

√
d d n2 + 1
τ= = ,
cos θt n

where n sin θt = sin θB . Inside the slab the Gaussian beam changes from
( )
′ inky ′2
u0 exp
2qy

to [ ] [ ]
inky ′2 iky ′2
u′′0 exp ′′
= u0 exp .
2(qy + τ ) 2(qy + τ )/n

2
In the sagittal plane y ′ = y. The change of the Gaussian beam is as if it propagates in the
vacuum for a distance √
d n2 + 1
Dy = .
n2
Let
1 1 2i
= ′ + .
qy + τ Ry nkwy′2
By continuity of the field the Gaussian beam at the exit surface outside of the slab is
( ) ( )
′′ iky 2 y2
u0 exp exp − ′2 .
2Ry′ /n wy

II. THE TANGENTIAL PLANE

In the tangential plane let us denote the field outside the slab at the entrance interface
as ( ) ( )
ikx2 x2
u(x) = u0 exp exp − 2
2R w
and the field inside the slab at the entrance interface as
( ) ( ′2 )
′ ′ ′ inkx′2 x
u (x ) = u0 exp exp − 2 .
2Rx wx

In the tangential plane one has

x′ cos θt
= = n.
x cos θB
Since the field must be continuous at the surface, one has

Rx = n3 R

and
wx = nw.

Let the q-parameter inside the slab be qx

1 1 2i
= + .
qx Rx nkwx2

The propagation distance inside the slab is

√
d d n2 + 1
τ= = ,
cos θt n

3
where n sin θt = sin θB . Inside the slab the Gaussian beam changes from
( )
′ inkx′2
u0 exp
2qx

to [ ] [ ]
inkx′2 ikx′2
u′′0 exp ′′
= u0 exp .
2(qx + τ ) 2(qx + τ )/n
In the tangential plane one has
x′ cos θt
= = n.
x cos θB
The change of the Gaussian beam is as if it propagates in the vacuum for a distance
√
d n2 + 1
Dx = .
n4

Let
1 1 2i
= ′ + .
qx + τ Rx nkwx′2
By continuity of the field the Gaussian beam at the exit surface outside of the slab is
( ) ( )
′′ ikx2 x2
u0 exp exp − ′2 2 .
2Rx′ /n3 wx /n