Angle-resolved reflectance and surface plasmonics of the MAX phases

Abstract: We investigate theoretically the optical response of bulk samples and thin films of the MAX phases materials, accounting for their large electrical anisotropy. We reveal the unusual behaviour of the reflection and transmittion spectra as a function of the incidence angle and predict the effect of the inverse total internal reflection. We also investigate the behaviour of the surface plasmon modes in bulk samples and thin films and analyse the difference between MAX materials and conventional metals.