Surface-Induced Vectorial Optical Properties of Liquid Mercury

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In an attempt to clarify the origin of the pronounced difference between the ellipsometry and reflectivity deduced dielectric constants of liquid mercury, ellipsometry and reflectivity measurements have been made simultaneously over the wavelength range 2500 to 7500 Å for the same samples for the same angle of incidence. Ellipsometry results on a free mercury surface extend the reported range from 4000 to 2500 Å and confirm the established deviation of ellipsometry results from Drude behavior. In the case of a silica–mercury interface, Rs agrees with that calculated from the Drude model while Rp does not. Both ellipsometry and reflectivity dielectric constants are similar to the vacuum–mercury interface results. In the case of a borosilicate–mercury interface, both Rs, and Rp are non-Drude with the reflectivity dielectric constants being appreciably lower, and the ellipsometry values higher, than the Drude values. It is concluded that the optical properties of mercury are vectorial, being different for P and S polarizations, and cannot be specified by the dielectric constant for an isotropic, homogeneous medium. Calculations have shown that the vectorial optical properties of liquid mercury for a silica–mercury interface are consistent with the existence of a surface transition layer similar to that first proposed by Bloch and Rice.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: