Fresnel coefficients of a two-dimensional atomic crystal

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that Fresnel coefficients better model the optical properties of a 2D atomic crystal like graphene than the traditional slab model, accurately predicting absorption and phase shifts.

Contribution

It introduces a Fresnel coefficient approach for modeling 2D atomic crystals, showing its superiority over the slab model in experimental predictions.

Findings

Fresnel coefficients accurately fit graphene optical experiments

Slab model fails to predict absorption and phase shifts

Fresnel approach better simulates experimental results

Abstract

In general the experiments on the linear optical properties of a single-layer two-dimensional atomic crystal are interpreted by modeling it as a homogeneous slab with an effective thickness. Here I fit the most remarkable experiments in graphene optics by using the Fresnel coefficients, fixing both the surface susceptibility and the surface conductivity of graphene. It is shown that the Fresnel coefficients and the slab model are not equivalent. Experiments indicate that the Fresnel coefficients are able to simulate the overall experiments here analyzed, while the slab model fails to predict absorption and the phase of the reflected light.