Physics 504,

Spring 2010
Electricity
and
Magnetism

Shapiro

Lecture 11 March 1, 2010

Last time we mentioned scattering removes power from

beam. Today we treat this more generally, to find
I the optical theorem:
I the relationship of the index of refraction and the
forward scattering amplitude.
The Optical Theorem Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Electricity
The optical theorem relates the total cross section to the and
Magnetism
forward scattering amplitude.
Shapiro
In Quantum Mechanics, this is “conservation” of
probability. Here — conservation of energy.
We do this differently from Jackson.
Consider scatterer of finite size in an incident plane wave:
~ i = E0 ~i ei~ki ·~x−iωt
E
~ i = 1 ~ki × E
B ~ i = 1 ~ki × ~i E0 ei~ki ·~x−iωt
ω ω
Assume scattering is linear, time-invariant physics, so
everything ∝ e−iωt , make implicit.
scattering amplitude f~(~k, ~ki ), so

~ s (~x) = eikr ~ ~ ~
E f (k, ki )E0
r
~ s (~x) = 1~ ~ eikr ~ ~ ~ ~
B k × Es = E0 k × f (k, ki ).
ω ωr
Linearity assures frequency unchanged and k = |~k| = |~ki |, Physics 504,
Spring 2010
elastic scattering. Electricity
and
~ =E
The total fields are E ~i + E
~ s and B
~ =B
~i + B
~ s. Magnetism

Consider the power flowing past planes ⊥ ~ki , one way in Shapiro

front of the scatterer, one way in back.

The total power removed from the incident beam =
incident power flux times σtot , which includes absorption
and scattering cross sections.
Take ~ki k ẑ. Total power across z downstream is
Z
1 h
~i + E
 
~s × B ~ i∗ + B
~ s∗
i
P = ρ dρ dφRe E .
2µ0 z

The E~i × B ~ ∗ part of this is what would have been the

i
power without any scattering. Each of E ~ s and B ~ s∗ falls off
2
as 1/r, so the product falls off as 1/r and is negligible for
large r. Thus if ∆P is the change in the power of the
beam (−δP is the power lost),
Z
1 h
~ s∗ + E
~i × B ~s × B
i
~ i∗ .
∆P = ρ dρ dφRe E
2µ0 z
 Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Electricity
Z
1 h
~i × B ~ s∗ + E ~ i∗
~s × B
i
and
∆P = ρ dρ dφRe E Magnetism
2µ0 z
1 |E0 |2 Z Shapiro

= ρ dρ dφ
2ωµ0 r
  
~
Re ~i × ~k × f~∗ (~k, ~ki ) e−ikr+iki ·~x
 
~
+eikr−iki ·~x f~(~k, ~ki ) × ~ki × ~i ∗
z
√
For large z, ρ ∼ z so thep angle goes to zero, ~k = ~ki ,
kr − ~ki · ~x = k(r − z) = k( z 2 + ρ2 − z) ≈ kρ2 /2z.
~ ∞
eikr−iki ·~x
Z Z
2π 2 /2z
ρ dρ dφ p ≈ ρ dρ eikρ
z 2 + ρ2 z 0
Z ∞
2π 2π
= du eiku/z = i .
z 0 k
Thus Physics 504,
   Spring 2010
π E02  Electricity
∆P = Re −i~i · f~∗ (~ki , ~ki )~k + i~i · ~k f~∗ (~ki , ~ki ) and
ωµ0 k Magnetism

Shapiro
∗
i~i · f~(~ki , ~ki )~ki − i(~ki · f~(~ki , ~ki ))~i ∗
z
 
π E02   
= Re −i~i · f~∗ (~k, ~ki ) + 0 + i~i ∗ · f~(~ki , ~ki ) − 0
ωµ0
 
2π E02   
= − Im ~i ∗ · f~(~ki , ~ki ) .
ωµ0

The power flux in the incident beam is

2 |E0 |2 k
1 ~ i∗ )z = |E0 | Re ~i × ~k × ~i
  
~i × B
Re (E =
2µ0 2ωµ0 z 2ωµ0
so the total cross section must be
−2∆P ωµ0 4π 
∗ ~ ~ ~

σTot = = Im ~
 i · f (k ,
i ik ) .
|E0 |2 k k
This is the optical theorem.
Index of Refraction Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Electricity
and
Consider thin slab, thickness d Magnetism
ki
Number density N θ Shapiro
incident wave E ~ i = E0~i ei~ki ·~x , x
ρ
k R
~ki = kêz , observe from far
0 z d z0
downstream, z0 .

wavefront
Each d3 x in slab has N d3 x scat-
terers, so

eikR ~ ~
~s =
dE f (k, θ, φ; ~ki )E0 eiki ·~x N d3 x
R
Z d Z 2π Z ∞
~s
E = N E0 dze ikz
dφ ρ dρ
0 0 0
eikR ~
   
−1 z0 −z
f k, cos , φ; kêz
R R

As R2 = ρ2 + (z0 − z)2 , ρ dρ = R dR, so

 Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Electricity
∞
eikR ~
   
z0 − z
Z
and
ρ dρ f k, cos−1 , φ; kêz Magnetism

0 R R
Z ∞     Shapiro

ikR ~ −1 z0 − z
= dR e f k, cos , φ; kêz
|z0 −z| R
   ∞
1 ikR ~ −1 z0 − z

= e f k, cos , φ; kêz 
ik R R=|z0 −z|
Z ∞    
1 ikR d ~ −1 z0 −z
− e dR f k, cos , φ; kêz
ik |z0 −z| dR R

where we integrated by parts for the last expression. The

last term is
1 ∞ z0 − z d ~
Z
eikR dR f (k, θ, φ; kêz )
ik |z0 −z| R2 d cos θ

which, provided the indicated derivative is not singular,

falls off like 1/R.
Dropping that term, we have Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Z d Z 2π Electricity

~ s = i N E0
and
E dzeikz dφeik(z0 −z) f~ (k, 0, φ; kêz ) Magnetism
k 0 0 Shapiro
N E0 d ikz0 ~
= 2πi e f (k, 0, 0; kêz )
k
Thus the total electric field at points far beyond the slab
is  
~ ikz 2πiN d ~
E(~x) = E0 e ~i + f (k, 0) ,
k
This is a plane wave, and exact solution of the free space
wave equation, though with shifted phase, amplitude, and
polarization. Thus it holds right up to back edge of the
slab.
What was the effect of the slab? Project on original
polarization — initial ~i ∗ · E
~ has been multiplied by

1 + 2πik −1 N~i ∗ · f~(k, 0)dz.

 Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Electricity
and
Magnetism

Integrating for finite thickness, Shapiro

~ x) = e2πik−1 N~i ∗ ·f~(k,0)z E0 eikz ,

~i ∗ · E(~

That is, our wave has k replaced by nk, with

2πN~i ∗ · f~(k, 0)
n=1+ ,
k2
which is the index of refraction.
Conclusion: The index of refraction is given by the
forward scattering amplitude.
Caveats Physics 504,
Spring 2010
Electricity
and
We assumed each scatterer feels only the incident field. Magnetism

Better treatment says evaluate f~(~k) at the wavenumber in Shapiro

the medium, not vacuum.

Absorption will give imaginary part to

k = nki = Re k + 2i αki with

4πN  
α = N σtot = Im ~i ∗ · f~(~k, ~k) .
k

Only full f~ will satisfy the optical theorem.

Approximations suitable for Im f in the forward direction
may not work for σtot ∝ |f 2 |.
Example: small lossless dielectric sphere, f is real! So
there is scattering but zero total cross section — can’t
R be.
In §7.10D Kramers-Kronig said Re r − 1 is given by dω 0
of Im r (ω 0 ), so a purely real r can only be 1.