Substrate-related effects on the optical behavior of a granular surface: The Maxwell Garnett theory revisited

Abstract

An approximate treatment, describing the influence of a dielectric substrate on the optical behavior of a granular surface, is reported. It shows that discrepancies between experimental results and predictions mainly based upon the Maxwell Garnett theory [Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London 203, 385 (1904); 205A, 237 (1906)] cannot be interpreted as substrate-related effects. The magnitudes and locations of the multiple images of the unperturbed dipole of a small metallic sphere have been carried out in an approximate, though reliable, way in the presence of polarizing fields both parallel and perpendicular to the substrate. The resulting dipole is introduced in a long-known optical model, describing a granular surface as a planar array of equal dipoles interacting with each other. Graphical results, showing the influence of substrates of various dielectric constants, are presented. A discussion of possible improvements of the available model is also reported.