Electromagnetic grazing anomalies. Energy flux extrema

Abstract

The diffraction of electromagnetic waves at the surface periodic structures accompanied by strong anomalous effects in different diffraction orders is considered in detail for high-contrast interfaces. We restrict discussion by the transverse magnetic polarization of the incident wave (the magnetic field is orthogonal to the plane of incidence) and the simplest geometry when the plane of incidence is orthogonal to the grating grooves. The most attention is devoted to the strong maxima and minima of the energy flux density accompanying specific grazing propagation of some diffraction order. Relation to other anomalies, both Rayleigh and the resonance ones is discussed as well.