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JACOB LEWIS BOURJAILY

Problem 7.16 Let us consider plane waves propagating in a homogenous, nonpermeable but anisotropic dielectric. The dielectric is characterized by the tensor ij . We will assume that the coordinate axes have been chosen so that Di = i Ei where i are the eigenvalues of the tensor. a) We are to show that plane waves with frequency and wave vector k satisfy k (k E) + 0 2 D = 0. This is relatively obvious enough. We know from our general studies of electromagnetic waves that in this principle axis system, E i ei(kxt) . Using simple vector identities we have k (k E) = (k E)k (k k)E. But k Ethe wave vector is always orthogonal to the eld. Hence the rst term above vanishes. Also notice that k k = 0 2 i for the ith component of E. Therefore, k (k E) = 0 2 i Ei = 0 2 D. Hence, k (k E) + 0 2 D = 0.
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c) We are to show that Da Db = 0 where Da , Db are the displacements associated with the two modes of propagation. This is quite obvious: the two modes of propagation are naturally orthogonalwe choose orthogonal basesand so it is natural that Da Db = 0. Problem 7.2 Let us consider a plane wave that is normally incident on two parallel layers with refraction indices of each layer being n1 , n2 . We are to determine the thickness d of the second layer such that no wave is reected from the system at the frequency in terms of the refractive indices. Let us work in the system where the z-axis is normal to the planesand hence parallel to the direction of motion of the wavewith the origin at the surface of the rst surface. From rather general considerations the elds E1 , E2 , and E3 for the rst medium, second medium and the air on the right are given by E1 = aeik1 z + beik1 z , E2 = eik2 z + eik2 z , E3 = eikz , where k1 = n1 c/, k2 = n2 c/ and = c/ and a, b, , , and are constants. From continuity requirements of the electric and magnetic eld at the interfaces, we have the constraints a+b=+ n2 ( ) ab= n1 Notice that the second two imply that = 1 2 1 = 2 1 n2 1 1 n2 1+ eik2 d + eik2 d = eikd ; 1 ikd eik2 d eik2 d = e . n2 eid(kk2 ) ; eid(k+k2 ) .

Now, the case in which there is no reection is that where b = 0. We can solve for b using the above system trivially and see that n2 n2 2b = 1 + 1+ . n1 n1

PHYSICS 505: CLASSICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS HOMEWORK 12

Substituting our expressions for and and setting the above to zero, we have 0= = = = = n2 n2 + 1+ , n1 n1 n2 1 n2 1 1 1+ eid(kk2 ) + 1 + 1 eid(k+k2 ) , n1 n2 n1 n2 n2 1 n2 1 1 1+ eidk2 + 1 + 1 eidk2 , n1 n2 n1 n2 n2 1 n2 1 1 1 eidk2 + 1 + eidk2 , 1+ n2 n1 n1 n2 n1 n1 n1 1 n2 n1 cos (dk2 ) + 2 i sin (dk2 ) = 0. n2 n1 n2 1

For this to vanish, each of the two contributions must vanish separately. Because n1 1 0 and sin(dk2 ) can be nonzero in general, this implies that cos (dk2 ) = 0 and that n2 n1 = 0. The cosine vanishes if 2 and only if d = (i+1/2) for some i Z. Therefore, we have that k2 n2 = n1 and d= (i + 1/2)c | i Z. n2

Problem 7.3 Let us consider two parallel semi-innite slabs of uniform, isotropic, nonpermeable, lossless dielectrics with index n that are separated by an air gap (n = 1) of width d, and a linearly polarized electromagnetic plane wave incident on the slabs with an angle to the normal of the air gap with its polarization perpendicular to the plane of incidence. a) We are to calculate the transmission and reection from the gap. We will assess this situation with the same notation as problem 7.2 above where we have the various electric elds given by E1 = aeik1 x + beik1 x , E2 = eikx + eikx , E3 = eik1 x , where k1 = nc/ and = c/ and a, b, , , and are constants. Notice that the transmission fraction is given by T = ||2 /|a|2 , the ratio of the nal wave magnitude to the initial, incoming wave magnitude. Also, the reection fraction is obviously R = 1 T . Therefore it will be very useful for us to solve for a in terms of (or vice versa). The analysis is similar to that of problem 7.2 except that we must now allow for waves which are nor normal to the surface. The conditions are spelled out rather explicitly in Jacksons section 7.3 and it is obvious that our continuity requirements become the following system of constraints, a+b=+ ab= cos ( ) n cos eik + eik = eik1 ; eik eik = n cos ik1 e ; cos

where d/ cos , the distance travelled by the wave in going between the two slabs. For the sake of simplicity, set n cos / cos . Solving for , in terms of , we see that = 1 (1 + ) ei(k1 k) ; 2 1 = (1 ) eid(k1 +k) . 2