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14.

V E C T O R AND SCALAR POTENTIALS

Several radiation problems for achiral media are considerably simplified by the
use of scalar and vector potentials. In this section, the analogous potentials for
isotropic chiral media will be introduced, followed by the derivation of the
inf'mite-medium Green's function for these potentials.
The third Maxwelrs equation, V×E = ic0B, can be seen to be completely
satisfied by a vector magnetic potential A and a scalar electric potential V, specified
by the relations

H = kt-1 VxA, (14-1a)


D = i¢0[A + 13Vx A ] - VV. (14-1b)

Furthermore, by using (14-1a,b) as well as the constitutive relations (3-5) it can be


shown that

D = io~e[A + 21~ Vx A + 132 Vx Vx A ] - eVV, (14-1c)


B = Vx [A + [3VxA]. (14-1d)

Next, by using (14-1a) and (14-1c) in the fourth Maxwell's equation,


VxH = - i o D , the equation

V 2 A + 2y2~ V x A + 72A - V [ V * A - i(y2/co)V] = 0 (14-2)

can be obtained, where y2 = k 2 [1_k2132]-1and k 2 = t0ekte as before. Provided the


gauge condition,

icol.te V - (kP/)2 V*A = 0, (14-3)

is satisfied, A and V can be separated from each other and can be shown to satisfy
the homogeneous governing differential equations

V2A + 2'y2[[ VxA + y2A = 0, (14-4a)

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[V z + "/21 V = O. (14-4b)

In a similar fashion, the fourth Maxwelrs equation, V x H =-icoD, can be


completely satisfied by a vector electric potential F and a scalar magnetic potential
W, which are specified by the relations

E = ~-1 V x F, (14-5a)
H = -io)[F + 13VxF] + VW, (14-5b)
B = -icog[F + 21] Vx F + [32 Vx Vx F] + gVW, (14-5c)
D = V x [F + lgVxF]. (14-5d)

Again, provided the gauge condition,

icogE W - (k/7)2VoF = 0 (14-6)

holds, F and W can also be shown to satisfy the homogeneous governing


differential equations

V2F + 2T2~ V x F + y2F = 0, (14-7a)


iV2 + v2] w = o. (14-7b)

Let now an electric current density J be impressed; then by using (14-1), VxE =
icoB andV×H = -icoD + J, it can be shown that the radiated magnetic potential A is
governed by the relation

V 2 A + 2T2~ V × A + 72A = -~t(T/k)2J. (14-8)

Likewise, if a magnetic current density K be radiating then, Maxwell's equations


read V×E = icoB - K and VxH = -ic0D; the radiated electric potential F has to be
computed from the relation

VZV + 2~,213 V×F + T2F = e(T&)2K, (14-9)

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The solution of (14-8) as well as of (14-9) requires the derivation of an
infinite-medium Green's dyadic A(r,r'), which itself is the solution of

[V2I + ~2I + 2~/215 V x I ] . A ( r , r ' ) = -I~(r - r'). (14-10)

In order to evaluate A(r,r'), the three-dimensional (spatial) Fourier transforms

A(r,r') = (2n) -3 d H = d3p a(p) exp[ip°(r - r')], (14-11a)


~(r - r') = (2~) -3 J ~ Y ~ d3p exp[ip°(r - r")], (14-11 b)

are substituted in (14-10), yielding thereby the dyadic relation

[(it2 _ p2) I + 2i~/2~ p x I]o a(p) = - l . (14-12)

Now, on noting that the inverse of the dyadic

W =~I+cxI (14-13a)

is given by

W 1 = [K2I - Z c x I + cc]/[;~ 3 + Kc.c], (14-13b)

the solution of (14-12) can be found from dyadic algebra to be

a(p) = [(p2_qt2) (p2_qa12) (pZ_~t22) ]-1 {_4]t4~2} pp


+ [(p2_]t12) (p2_~/22) ]-1 [(p2_~t2)I + i2y2~ p × I ], (14-14)

where ~/a = k [1 - kl]] -1 and ~'2 = T2/~/a= k [1 + k~] -1 as before.


On taking the inverse Fourier transform of (14-14), vide (14-1 la), it turns out
that

8n 3 A(r,r') = I K 1 + 2~/2~V x I K 2 + 4~4~2VV K 3, (14-15)

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in which the integrals

K1 : _J~* d3p ~p2_qt2)[(p2_qt12) (p2_722) ]-1 exp[ip.R]


= (2~/iR)_J~ dp (p2.y2)[(p2-3t12) (p2-y22) ]-1 p exp[ipR], (14-16a)

K2 = _ ~ f f ~ d3p [(p2_](12) (p2_qt22) ]-1 exp[ipoR]


= (2~/iR) _ J~ dp [(p2-~/12) (p2-~/22) ]-1 p exp[ipR], (14-16b)

K3 = _~]ff~* d3p L(p2_~,2)(p2_T12) (p2_~,22) ]-I exp[ip.R]


= (2~/iR)_~l" dp [(p2_~/2) (p2_~12) (p2_qt22)]-1 p exp[ipR], (14-16c)

and R = r - r'. The evaluation of these integrals must be done in the upper half of
the complex plane. To be notedlis the fact that the integrands of both K 1 and K 2
contain singularities at p = -+3'1, -+Y2, while that of K 3 contains yet another
singularity at p = ~ of these six singularities, three have to be excluded because of
the chosen time-dependence exp(-icot). Therefore, after using Cauchy's residue
theorem to evaluate the three integrals, the expression for the dyadic A(r,r') turns
out to be

A(r, r') (k/8/~]/2) []tlI + ]tl-1 VV + V × I ] g(71;R),


+ (k/8~:y2) [72I + ~2-1 V V - V × I ] g(72;R)
- (1/4r~72) VVg(T,R), (14-17)

where g(o;R) = exp[icyR]/R. To be noted is the fact that when I] = 0, then (14-17)
simplifies to the usual expression for achiral media [Harrington 1964]

A(r, r') = (1/4~) I g(k;R). (14-18)

Once the dyadic A(r, r') has been derived, the radiated vector potentials can be
easily evaluated from the integrals

A(r)= B(y/k)2 Idv' A(r, r'). J(r'), (14-19a)


F(r) = -e(y/k)2 Jdv' A(r, r )- K(r'), (14-19b)

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in which the integrations are performed over the volumes containing the respective
source current densities. The corresponding scalar potentials can then be obtained
from the gauge conditions (14-3) and (14-6), if needed.
While the relation,

A(r,r') = G(r, r') - (1/4w~,2) VVg(y;,R), (14-20a)

can be obtained by comparing (14-17) with the Green's function G(r, r') of
(13-13) for the electromagnetic field, it should be noted that

V x A(r,r') = V x G(r, r'), (14-20b)

because the second term on the right hand side of (14-20a) is irrotational.
Whereas the electromagnetic field vectors simply exhibit birefringence, it turns
out to that the potential vectors, A and F, are trirefringent. As per (14-17), A is
comprised of three components, each having a different wavenumber -- Y1, Y2and
~/= [y1~'2]1/2, -- but all three being of the order O(1/R) in the limit R ~ oo. The first
two components of A are solenoidal leading to the identity (14-20b); the third one,
however, possessed with the phase velocity c0/y, is purely longitudinal and does not
contribute to the radiated E and H, which are solenoidal whatever be the value of 13.
Incidently, y is a valid wavenumber for the potentials, as evinced by the
homogeneous differential equations (14-4b) and (14-7b), to which, respectively,
the scalar potentials V and W must conform. Finally, A and F are not axial vectors
for 13~ 0; consequently, and because the solenoidal part of A precisely equals G,
the calculation of the radiated electromagnetic fields in isotropic chiral media
through A and F is as simple or difficult as a direct calculation through G.

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