antireflection coating

A thin, dielectric or metallic film, or several such films, applied to an optical surface to reduce its reflectance and thereby increase its transmittance. [After 2196] Note: For minimum reflection of a normal incident wave of a single wavelength, the antireflection coating may consist of a single layer and must have (a) a refractive index equal to the square root of the refractive indices of the materials bounding the coating, and (b) a thickness equal to one-quarter the wavelength in question (i.e., the wavelength within the material of which the coating consists). For minimum reflection of multiple wavelengths, additional layers must be added.