Abstract
Polarization of a plane electromagnetic wave travelling through a medium is studied in the slowly-varying field envelope approximation. It is shown that the problem is identical to the 4-momentum evolution of a negatively-charged massless relativistic particle in an electromagnetic field. The approach is exemplified by the resonant oscillations of circular polarization in a medium embedded in a static magnetic field and a modulated electric field. The effect of dissipation in the medium is discussed. It is shown that the Rabi oscillations are stable below a threshold depending on the absorption coefficient. Above it, oscillations disappear.
Published Version (Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have