AR Coating and Thin Film Interference

In this lesson students will apply knowledge of wave interference, light, refraction, reflection, transmission and conservation of energy in order to understand principles of thin film interference as they are applied in the development of anti-reflective coating for optical devices.

Depending on available equipment students will gather percent transmittance data through coated and uncoated plastic or glass samples in order to observe the effect these coatings have on optical properties. After students discover that the coated samples transmit more light we will explore the question “How can adding more ‘stuff’ in the way of the light increase the amount of light that can get through?”.

After further instruction, students will be asked to design specifications for AR coatings in a variety of industry scenarios using calculations and written explanations to support their decision. Students can also test their solutions using an online simulation that displays the effect of their coating.