Module I: Electromagnetic waves

Lecture 5: EM waves with boundaries

Amol Dighe
TIFR, Mumbai

Outline

EM waves at dielectric boundaries: reflection, transmission

EM waves in conductors: inside and at the boundary

Coming up...

EM waves at dielectric boundaries: reflection, transmission

EM waves in conductors: inside and at the boundary

Reflection and refraction

An EM wave is incident from one medium (1 , 1 , n1 , c1 ) to another
medium (1 , 1 , n1 , c1 ), at an angle I with the normal to the boundary.

Incident, reflected and refracted waves

Incident wave
~I
E
~I
B

~ I0 ei(~kI ~rt)
= E
~kI
~ I = 1 (k
~ I)
I E
=
E

c1

(1)
(2)

Reflected wave
~R
E
~R
B

~ R0 ei(~kR ~rt)
= E
~kR
~ R = 1 (k
~ R)
R E
=
E

c1

(3)

~ T 0 ei(~kT ~rt)
E
~kT
~ T = 1 (k
~T)
T E
E

c2

(5)

(4)

Transmitted wave
~T
E

~T
B

(6)

Boundary conditions on phases

~ is continuous across the boundary
D

~ I0 e
1 E

i(~kI ~rt)

~ I + 1 E
~ R
1 E
~
~ R0 ei(kR ~rt)
+ 1 E

~ T
= 2 E
~ T 0 ei(~kT ~rt)
= 2 E

(7)
(8)

The equatity should be valid at all ~r on the boundary

~kI ~r = ~kR ~r = ~kT ~r

(9)

With origin at the point of incidence:

|~kI |r sin I = |~kR |r sin R = |~kT |r sin T

(10)

Using |kI | = |kR | and |kT |/|kI | = n2 /n1 ,

sin I = sin R ,

sin I
n2
=
sin T
n1

The first is the law of reflection the second is the Snells law

(11)

Boundary conditions on amplitudes

Our discussion would have worked for any of the boundary
~ as an example. Now we need not worry
conditions, we just took D
about the phases, since the laws of reflection and refraction derived
there guarantee that the phase conditions will be satisfied.
Boundary conditions
~ I0 + 1 E
~ R0
1 E
~ I0 + B
~ R0
B
~ Ik0 + E
~ Rk0
E
1~
1~
BIk0 +
BRk0
1
1

=
=
=
=

~ T 0
2 E
~ T 0
B
~ T k0
E
1~
BT k0
2

(12)
(13)
(14)
(15)

For convenience well divide the incident electric field into a

component in the plane of incidence (the plane that contains
~kI , ~kR , ~kT ) and a component normal to the plane of incidence. These
two clearly wont interfere, and they can be added together at any
time, using the principle of superposition, to get the net electric field.

~ in the plane of incidence

E

Applying boundary conditions

~
Boundary conditions involving E
1 EI0 sin I + 1 ER0 sin R
EI0 cos I + ER0 cos R

= 2 ET 0 sin T

(16)

= ET 0 cos T

(17)

Solution:

ER0 =

where


EI0 ,

cos T
,
cos I

ET 0 =

2
+


EI0

1 c1
2 c2

~ give exactly the same conditions.

Boundary conditions involving B

(18)

(19)

Reflection and transmission coefficient

Rate of energy transported by incoming wave normal to the
boundary: (Correct this, right language, factors of c, connect
with N)
Incident wave : II

Reflected wave : IR

Transmitted wave : IT

1
~ I0 |2 cos I
1 c1 |E
2
1
~ R0 |2 cos R
1 c1 |E
2
1
~ T 0 |2 cos T
2 c2 |E
2

(20)
(21)
(22)

Reflection coefficient


 2
IR

= 
II
+

(23)

IT
2 c2 cos T
4Re( )
=
=
II
1 c1 cos I
| + |2

(24)

R=
Transmission coefficient
T =

Comments on reflection and transmission coefficients

R + T = 1, as expected
R = 1, T = 0 possible if is purely imaginary.
q
q
1 (n2 /n1 )2 sin2 T
1 sin2 T
=
=
,
cos I
cos I

(25)

so if sin I > (n1 /n2 ), there is no transmission.

This is the condition for Total Internal reflection.
R = 0, T = 1 possible if = . This condition takes a simple
form if 1 = 2 , since then
cos T
c1
sin I
c1
=
=
=
cos I
c2
sin T
c2
This leads to sin 2I = sin 2T , that is I + T = /2.
In such a case, I is called the Brewsters angle.

(26)

~ normal to the plane of incidence

E

Comments on this scenario

The values for R and T will in general be different. In particular,

R = 0 is not possible here.
If an unpolarized wave is incident on a dielectric surface, the
reflected and transmitted waves will therefore, in general, be
polarized.

Coming up...

EM waves at dielectric boundaries: reflection, transmission

EM waves in conductors: inside and at the boundary

Reflection from a conducting surface

No wave is transmitted inside the conductor; i.e. fields inside the
conductor are zero.
~ I = E
~R
For a normal incidence, E
I.e. there is a phase-shift by .
~ I and E
~ R parallel
For incidence at an angle, the components of E
~ Ik = E
~ Rk
to the boundary cancel, i.e. E
There will be charge oscillations at the metal surface
~ I + E
~ I ) = s , where s is the surface
corresponding to 1 (E
charge density
The movements of these charges along the surface correspond
~ Ik + H
~ Rk
to surface currents, which account for finite values of H
at the boundary.
~ normal to the surface vanishes, i.e. B
~ I + B
~ R = 0.
The net B
~
This follows automatically from the Ek conditions above.

Recap of topics covered in this lecture

Reflection and transmission at the surface of a dielectric

Boundary conditions at a conducting surface