ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -- THE BASICS

A RESTATEMENT OF MACROSCOPIC MAXWELL' S EQUATIONS IN THE

FREQUENCY DOMAIN -- VALID FOR LINEAR, LOCAL, ANISOTROPIC MEDIA
IN THE OPTICAL REGIME.

r

r
E
r
r , ( )
r

t

1
r
r , ( )
r
D
r
r , ( ) i
r
B
r
r , ( ) i
0
r
H
r
r , ( ) [ 1a ]

r

r
B
r
r , ( )
0
r

r
H
r
r , ( )
0
r
J
r
r , ( ) + i
0
t

r
r , ( )
r
E
r
r , ( )

0
r
J
r
r , ( ) + i
0
r
D
r
r , ( )
[ 1b ]

r

t

r
r , ( )
r
E
r
r , ( )
r

r
D
r
r , ( )
r
r , ( ) [ 1c ]

r

r
B
r
r , ( )
0
r

r
H
r
r , ( ) 0 [ 1d ]
HELMHOLZ EQUATIONS FOR THE FREQUENCY DOMAIN VECTOR AND
SCALAR POTENTIALS IN A UNIFORM, LINEAR, ISOTROPIC DIELECTRIC
First, we define the (Magnetic) Vector Potential as

r
H
r
r , ( )
1

0
r
B
r
r , ( )
1

0
r

r
A
r
r , ( ) [ 2 ]
which, by design, automatically satisfies one of Maxwell's equation -- viz. [ 1d ] --
since

div curl anything { }
r

r
anything { } 0 [ 3 ]
Next, we introduce the (Electric) Scalar Potential in the form

r
E
r
r , ( ) i
r
A
r
r , ( )
r

r
r , ( ) [ 4 ]
which, by design, automatically satisfies another Maxwell equation -- viz. [ 1a ] --since
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -- THE BASICS PAGE-2
R. Victor Jones, October 23, 2002

curl grad anything { }
r

r
anything { } 0 [ 5 ]
Therefore, for uniform, isotropic media of Equation [ 1b ] becomes
1

r

r

r
A
r
r , ( )
0
r
J
r
r , ( ) +
2

0
( )
r
A
r
r , ( ) i
0
( )
r

r
r , ( )

r

r

r
A
r
r , ( )
2
r
A
r
r , ( )
[ 6a ]
and Equation [ 1c ] becomes

i ( )
r

r
A
r
r , ( ) ( )
2

r
r , ( )
r
r , ( ). [ 6b ]

r

r
A
r
r , ( ) is as yet undefined. For our purposes, the most convenient and/or
revealing development is in terms of the so called Lorentz gauge in which

r

r
A
r
r , ( ) i
0
( )
r
r , ( ) [ 7 ]
-- to simplify Equations [ 6a ] and [ 6b ]. Thus

2
r
A
r
r , ( ) +
2

0
( )
r
A
r
r , ( )
0
r
J
r
r , ( ) [ 6a ]
and

r
r , ( ) +
2

0
( )
r
r , ( )
1
( )

r
r , ( ) [ 6b ]
Therefore, both

r
A
r
r , ( ) and

r
r , ( ) satisfy inhomogeneous (and homogeneous)
Helmholz equations!

1
Here we use the vector identity

r

r

r
V
( )

r

r

r
V
( )

r

r

( )
r
V
which follows from

r
a
r
b
r
c ( )
r
b
r
a
r
c ( )
r
c
r
a
r
b ( ).
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -- THE BASICS PAGE-3
R. Victor Jones, October 23, 2002
APPENDIX: ON SPHERICAL WAVES
We need to establish that spherical waves are valid solutions of Maxwell's equation (or, more
precisely, of the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation derived from Maxwell's equations)

2
r
A
r
r , ( ) + k
2
r
A
r
r , ( )
r
J
r
r , ( ) [ A-1 ]
1. Let us first look for solutions in "current-free" region so that

2
r
A
r
r , ( ) + k
2
r
A
r
r , ( ) 0 [ A-2 ]
Our goal is to find a solution which depends only on the magnitude of the observer's
position vector and, thus, we look for solutions in the form

r
A
r
r , ( )
r
a
f r, ( )
r
[ A-3 ]
where

r
r
r and

r
a is a constant vector. To see if this form of solution works, we need
to find div grad
f r, ( )
r



1
]
1
. To that end, we first use the "chain rule" to find grad
f r, ( )
r



1
]
1
-- viz.

grad
f r, ( )
r



1
]
1

r

f r, ( )
r



1
]
1

r
r
[ ]
d
d r

f r, ( )
r



1
]
1

r
r
[ ]
1
r
d
d r
f r, ( )
1
r
2
f r, ( )



1
]
1
[ A-4 ]
However
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -- THE BASICS PAGE-4
R. Victor Jones, October 23, 2002

r
r
r
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
[ ]

x x
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
+
y
r
y
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
+
z z
x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2

r
r
r
r
[ A-5 ]
so that

2
r
A
r
r , ( )
r

r

r
A
r
r , ( )
r

r

r
a
f r, ( )
r



1
]
1

r
a
r

r

f r, ( )
r



1
]
1

r
a
r
r
1
r
d
d r
f r, ( )
1
r
2
f r, ( )



1
]
1

'


;

[ A-6 ]
Again, using the "chain rule"

2
r
A
r
r , ( )
r
a
r
r
1
r
d
d r
f r, ( )
1
r
2
f r, ( )



1
]
1

'


;

r
a
r
r
r
r
[ ]
d
d r
1
r
2
d
d r
f r, ( )
1
r
3
f r, ( )



1
]
1

'

+3
1
r
2
d
d r
f r, ( )
1
r
3
f r, ( )



1
]
1

;

r
a r
1
r
2
d
2
d r
2
f r, ( )
3
r
3
d
d r
f r, ( ) +
3
r
4
f r, ( )



1
]
1

'

+3
1
r
2
d
d r
f r, ( )
1
r
3
f r, ( )



1
]
1

;

r
a
1
r
d
2
d r
2
f r, ( )



1
]
1
[ A-7 ]
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -- THE BASICS PAGE-5
R. Victor Jones, October 23, 2002
Therefore

2
r
A
r
r , ( ) + k
2
r
A
r
r , ( ) 0 becomes

r
a
1
r
d
2
d r
2
f r, ( )



1
]
1
+ k
2
r
a
f r, ( )
r



1
]
1
0 [ A-8a ]
or
d
2
d r
2
f r, ( ) + k
2
f r, ( ) 0 [ A-8b ]
Therefore, we see that the homogeneous Helmholtz equation has two independent solutions
-- viz.

r
A
r
r , ( )
r
a C
+
exp j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1
+
r
a C

exp +j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1
[ A-9 ]

r
a C
+
exp j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1
Outwardly propagating spherical wave

r
a C

exp + j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1
Inwardly propagating spherical wave
2. To determine the constant in the outwardly propagating spherical wave, we now study
the behavior of the inhomogeneous equation in the vicinity of the
singularity -- i.e. at r 0 -- where the source of the wave must be located. To cope with
the singularity, we integrate the inhomogeneous equation over a small sphere of radius R
centered at r 0.

2
r
A
r
r , ( )dV
vol. of sphere

+ k
2
r
A
r
r , ( )dV
vol. of sphere

r
J
r
r , ( )dV
vol. of sphere

[ A-10 ]
If we use Gauss' theorem to transform the first term on the left hand side
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION -- THE BASICS PAGE-6
R. Victor Jones, October 23, 2002

d
r
S
r

[ ]
r
A
r
r , ( )
surf. of sphere

+ k
2
r
A
r
r , ( )dV
vol. of sphere

r
J
r
r , ( )dV
vol. of sphere

[ A-11 ]
and substitute the outwardly propagating spherical wave form

d
r
S
r
r
[ ]
d
d r
C
+
exp j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1

'


;

surf. of sphere

+ k
2
C
+
exp j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1

'


;

dV
vol. of sphere

r
a
r
J
r
r , ( )
[ ]
dV
vol. of sphere

[ A-12a ]

C
+
d
d r
exp j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1
surf. of sphere

R
2
d + k
2
C
+
exp j k r [ ]
r



1
]
1

'


;

dV
vol. of sphere

r
a
r
J
r
r , ( )
[ ]
dV
vol. of sphere

[ A-12b ]
Therefore in the limit that the radius of the small sphere goes to zero

4 C
+

r
a
r
J
r
r , ( )
[ ]
dV
vol. of sphere
R0

[ A-13 ]
so that

r
A
r
r , ( )

4
r
J
r
r , ( )
[ ]
dV
R0

'


;

exp j k r [ ]
r
[ A-14 ]