William A. Challener
This chapter derives the equations for the fields associated with reflection and transmission of plane waves incident upon multilayer planar thin films at an arbitrary angle and polarization. The thin film materials are described by refractive indices or dielectric tensors so the formalism includes chiral and magneto-optic materials, and liquid crystals. Several examples of highly reflecting, anti-reflecting, bandpass and notch filters, magneto-optics, nematic liquid crystals and surface plasmon resonance are calculated.