Assignment 6

Contents
Problem 6.1: Refraction into a birefringent medium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Problem 6.2: Poynting vector continuity (midterm exam 2020) . . . . . . . . . . 2

Due Date: 20 October 2022

Problem 6.1 is the ‘part 1’ problem treated in the tutorial class, problem 6.2 is the ‘part 2’ problem to
be worked on at home.

Problem 6.1: Refraction into a birefringent medium

Consider a birefringent non-magnetic medium occupying the half space z > 0, with its preferential
symmetry axis (‘director’) oriented along the x-axis. The dielectric tensor is therefore:

ne 2
 
0 0
ε = ε0  0 no 2 0 ,
0 0 no 2

with no and ne the ordinary and extraordinary refractive index, respectively. There is a simple
non-magnetic medium in the half space z < 0, characterized by refractive idex n1 . An EM plane wave
of angular frequency ω is incident from z < 0 on the interface at an angle of incidence θ1 , and splits in
general into an ordinary wave propagating at an angle θo with the z-axis, and an extraordinary wave
propagating at an angle θe with the z-axis.
6.1.a. Consider an ordinary EM wave inside the birefringent medium with wavevector ko = no ω/c,
where the wave normal vector is no = (n sin θo , 0, n cos θo ), and n is the refractive index. The
polarization of the ordinary wave is perpendicular to both ko and the symmetry axis along x̂, i.e. the
electric field vector only has a non-zero y component. Solve the Fresnel-equation (Zangwill eq. (17.132),
see also Lecture slides) to find an expression for the refractive index for the ordinary wave.
6.1.b. Consider now the extraordinary EM wave inside the birefringent medium with wavevector
ke = ne ω/c, where the wave normal vector is ne = (n sin θe , 0, n cos θe ), and n is the refractive index.
The polarization of the extraordinary wave is in the plane spanned by ke and the symmetry axis along
x̂, i.e. the electric field vector has non-zero x and z components but the y-component is zero. Solve the
Fresnel-equation to find an expression for the refractive index for the extraordinary wave.
6.1.c. Combine the expressions derived for the refractive indices for the ordinary wave with Snel’s law
n1 sin θ1 = n sin θo to derive an expression for the sine of the angle sin θo in terms of no , ne , n1 and θ1 .
Follow the same procedure for the extraordinary wave to derive an expression for the sine of the angle
sin θe in terms of no , ne , n1 and θ1 .

1
 AP3071-G - Assignment 6

Problem 6.2: Poynting vector continuity (midterm exam 2020)

Consider the case of reflection and transmission of a p polarized plane wave incident on an interface at
z = 0 between two media with impedances Z1 and Z2 and with refractive indices n1 and n2 . The
impedances and refractive indices of both media are real. The angular frequency is ω and the angles of
incidence and refraction within the plane of incidence (the xz-plane) are θ1 and θ2 , related by Snel’s law.
We know that the electric fields Ei (r, t), Er (r, t), and Et (r, t) of the incident, reflected and transmitted
waves, respectively, and the auxiliary magnetic fields Hi (r, t), Hr (r, t), and Ht (r, t) of the incident,
reflected and transmitted waves, respectively, as a function of position r and time t are given by:

Ei (r, t) = Ei (cos θ1 , 0, − sin θ1 ) ei(ki ·r−ωt) ,

Er (r, t) = rp Ei (− cos θ1 , 0, − sin θ1 ) ei(kr ·r−ωt) ,
Et (r, t) = tp Ei (cos θ2 , 0, − sin θ2 ) ei(kt ·r−ωt) ,
Ei
Hi (r, t) = (0, 1, 0) ei(ki ·r−ωt) ,
Z1
Ei
Hr (r, t) = rp (0, 1, 0) ei(kr ·r−ωt) ,
Z1
Ei
Ht (r, t) = tp (0, 1, 0) ei(kt ·r−ωt) .
Z2
where the wavevectors of the incident, reflected and transmitted waves are ki , kr , and kt , respectively,
and where rp and tp are the Fresnel coefficients.
6.2.a. Determine the time-averaged Poynting vectors Si , Sr , and St of the incident, reflected and
transmitted waves from the electric and magnetic fields of the three waves, and show that the
z-components of the three time-averaged Poynting vectors Si , Sr , and St satisfy the continuity equation
at the interface z = 0:
Si,z + Sr,z = St,z
provided the Fresnel coefficients for reflection rp and for transmission tp satisfy:

cos θ1 cos θ2
1 − rp2 = t2p
Z1 Z2

6.2.b. Prove that this relation between the Fresnel coefficients is true, starting with the expressions for
the Fresnel coefficients given in the book of Zangwill or in the lecture notes.
6.2.c. The transmitted wave is the only wave in medium 2, hence the time-averaged Poynting vector in
medium 2 is identical to the time-averaged Poynting vector of the transmitted wave (S2 = St ). The
time-averaged Poynting vector in medium 1 depends on the total fields in medium 1, which have
contributions from both the incident and reflected waves. It therefore not necessarily holds that S1 is
equal to the sum of Si and Sr . Compute S1 and show that, nevertheless, for the z-component
S1,z = Si,z + Sr,z , but S1,x 6= Si,x + Sr,x .
6.2.d. In the previous subproblems you have demonstrated that the z-component of the Poynting vector
is continuous at the interface z = 0, i.e. S1,z = S2,z at z = 0. Do you expect that also the x-component
of the Poynting vector is continuous at the interface z = 0, i.e. do you expect that S1,x = S2,x at z = 0?
Do not provide a computation but a physical argument why this is or is not the case, and why the
physical situation is or is not different for the z and x components of the Poynting vector.

Version: October 7, 2022 2