Using a finite element representation of a dielectric film, we have examined the effects of surface defects on the local electric field and its intensity. Surface defects possess the potential to affect the local electric fields in a dielectric film in a manner similar to those introduced in the bulk solid. Both raised and removed regions tend to focus the electric field vector about the defect, and the interaction of two defects can lead to an enhanced local electric field intensity. In these cases, effective medium methods would approximate the film by an idealized defect-free structure, and thus would not note the sensitivity of the electric field to surface structure.

Date Published: 24 June 1993
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 1848, 24th Annual Boulder Damage Symposium Proceedings -- Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1992, (24 June 1993); doi: 10.1117/12.147433

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1848:
24th Annual Boulder Damage Symposium Proceedings -- Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 1992
Harold E. Bennett; Lloyd L. Chase; Arthur H. Guenther; Brian Emerson Newnam; M. J. Soileau, Editor(s)