Multilayered model in optics and quantum mechanics

Three types of dispersion equations are analyzed that describe the eigenvalues of the effective refractive index of a multilayer plane optical waveguide and the energy eigenvalues of a quantum particle placed in a piecewise constant potential field. The first equation (D1) is derived by setting to zero the determinant of the system of linear equations produced by matching the solutions in the layers. The second equation (D2) is obtained using the well-known method of characteristic matrices. The third equation has been obtained in the general case by the author and is known as a multilayer equation. Simple relations between the three equations are established. It is shown that the set of roots of D2 exactly coincides with the set of eigenvalues of the multilayer problem, while the roots of D1 and the multilayer equation contain those equal to the refractive index in the optical case (or to the potential in the quantum case) in internal layers of the system, which may be superfluous. Examples are presented.