Wave propagation in the presence of a dielectric slab: The paraxial approximation

Abstract

Light propagation processes in a homogeneous dielectric slab are considered from the point of view of the optical analog of the Schrödinger equation. The reflection and transmission coefficients and longitudinal shifts of the wavefront are determined by considering the analytical properties of the external field amplitudes as functions of the wave number. An analytic approach to obtain the resonances in the "long lifetime" limit is also presented.