Optical characteristics of finite temperature quantum electron gas

Abstract

In this paper we study the propagation of elliptically polarized transverse electromagnetic waves in a quasineutral plasma with arbitrary degenerate electron fluid ranging from classical dilute to fully degenerate density regimes by using the appropriate collisional magnetohydrodynamics model, which incorporates the adiabatic quantum equation of states for high-frequency electron fluid compression and the Bohm quantum potential responsible for the collective quantum diffraction effect. Three distinct propagation modes are categorized corresponding to electron density regimes of dilute, intermediate, and fully degenerate plasmas. One of these modes is found to be purely of quantum mechanical origin and disappears in the absence of the quantum diffraction effect. The present generalized magnetohydrodynamics theory qualitatively describes key features of optical parameters and experimental data of dilute classical, semiconducting, and in fully degenerate plasmas. Different optical parameters, such as the refractive and absorption index of the new mode are investigated. It is shown that the optical response of the magnetized plasma with arbitrary degeneracy is essentially governed by three characteristic frequencies, namely, collision, plasmon, and cyclotron frequencies. The profound experimental minimum in the refractive index of arbitrary degenerate quantum plasmas and its dependence on the characteristic frequencies is studied in detail. Current investigation is of fundamental importance in high energy density and fusion plasma diagnostics and may provide key knowledge on the characteristics of astrophysical dense matter.