Abstract

It is well known that a good conductor surface is also a good reflector. Classical theory^1,2 has shown that the reflectance approaches unity as the resistivity approaches zero. However, such high reflectance has not been confirmed for high T_c superconductors from ultraviolet to far infrared³ although superconductive behaviors are detected in these materials at millimeter wavelengths⁴. It appears that imperfections on the material surface are still obscuring the super-reflectance. The intention of this paper is: (a) to show that reflectance of 100% is theoretically sound for high T_c superconductors, at least in the far infrared (FIR) region, and (b) to propose a reliable method of fabrication for producing super-reflecting mirrors.

© 1988 Optical Society of America