English

Complex-angle analysis of electromagnetic waves on interfaces

Optics 2019-05-30 v1

Abstract

Electromagnetic wave is reflected and refracted at interfaces, satisfying Fresnel-Snell law which is required by conservations of energy and momentum. If the incident angle is lower than the critical angle, we can use this Fresnel-Snell law, but the Fresnel-Snell law is modified in the case of existence of dissipation (n~=n+iκ,κ>0\tilde{n} = n + i\kappa, \kappa > 0) or in the condition of total internal reflection. In the cases, we have to extend the angle of refraction from real number to complex number (θθ~=θ+iψ,ψ0\theta \rightarrow \tilde{\theta} = \theta + i\psi, \psi \neq 0). In this paper, by using complex-angle approach, we analyse the behaviour of electromagnetic waves in various kind of interfaces: dielectric - dielectric system, dissipative dielectric - dielectric system, and metal - dielectric system. We show that iso-frequency curves in wavenumber space is opened in the case where n,κ>0n, \kappa > 0, and closed either when n0n \rightarrow 0 or when κ0\kappa \rightarrow 0 ("Lifshitz transition" of electromagnetic waves). Excess momentum (wavenumber) and anomalous spin (circular polarization) emerging with the transition are also discussed.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1806.11482,
  title  = {Complex-angle analysis of electromagnetic waves on interfaces},
  author = {Daigo Oue},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1806.11482},
  year   = {2019}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-23T02:46:12.891Z