Angle-resolved reflectance and surface plasmonics of the MAX phases.

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