Plane Wave Analysis for

Anisotropic Materials

Matt Causley
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Maxwell’s Equations

E
   H  J   E  
t
H
    E   H   0
t
 In an isotropic medium, the permittivity and
permeability of the medium are scalars. But
for anisotropic media, they are characterized
by electromagnetic tensors.

   0 ,   0 
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

E
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

PK

E
D
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

P
K

D
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

D
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

D
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

D
Mutual Orthogonality
In general, the electric and magnetic
displacement fields are both mutually orthogonal
to the direction of propagation. Specifically for
isotropic media, this coincides with the Poynting
vector, or direction of energy flux.
B=µH

E
K
D
The Dispersion Relation
By assuming wave like behavior, the coupled PDEs can be
turned into a system of linear algebraic equations. The solvability
condition relates spatial and temporal frequencies of the waves, i.e.
it defines the wave speed. Such a relation is called a dispersion
relation.

vv v  ikv xvit  v v v  ikv xvit 

E ( x , t )  Ee H ( x , t )  He
v v v v v
 E   k  H k   E  0
v v v v v
 H  k  E k  H   0
 v v v v
  k  I   E   0  k I
 v   v   v  v 0
 k  I    H   0  k  I 

v v
   0 0  k  I  1
2
   k I 0
or
v v
   0  0   k  I  1
2
   k I 0
 11 12 0 
   12  22 0 ,

 =1  2   4  a 2  b   0
 0 0  33 
 

 k x2  k y2 11k x2  212 k x k y   22 k y2   11   22  k z2 

a  
  33 11 22  122 
 
 k x2  k y2  k z2   11k x2  212 k x k y   22 k y2   33 k z2 
b  
      2 
 33   11 22 12 
Slowness Curves
Slowness curves represent the wave vectors that satisfy the
dispersion relation for fixed temporal frequencies.
Slowness Curve:  Medium I Slowness Curve:  Medium II
Slowness Curve:  Medium III
0.6 0.6

0.6
0.4 0.4
0.4
0.2 0.2
0.2

0 0 0

y
y

­0.2
­0.2 ­0.2
­0.4
­0.4 ­0.4
­0.6

­0.6 ­0.6 ­1 ­0.5 0 0.5 1

x
­0.6 ­0.4 ­0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 ­0.6 ­0.4 ­0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6
x x

Slowness Curve:  Medium IV Slowness Curve:  Medium V
0.4 0.8
Slowness Curve:  Medium X
0.3 0.6
0.6
0.2 0.4
0.4
0.1 0.2 0.2

0 0 0
y

y
y

­0.1 ­0.2 ­0.2

­0.4
­0.2 ­0.4
­0.6
­0.3 ­0.6
­1 ­0.5 0 0.5 1
­0.4 ­0.8 x
­0.3 ­0.2 ­0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 ­0.5 0 0.5
x x
Wave Fronts
Wave fronts are characterized by the group velocity vectors for a
corresponding slowness curve. The show the shape of the wave
fronts that actually propagate through the anisotropic material.
Air-dielectric interface
 Air in the left half plane, orthotropic dielectric in the right half
plane. A right-traveling EM wave in air is incident on the
dielectric from an arbitrary polarization. According to the
dispersion relation, two modes will be excited in the dielectric.

   1,  =1 x0

  11 12 0 
  
    12  22 0 ,  =1 x0
  0 0  33 
  
Reflection and transmission at the
interface
t Ki

Medium I: air Medium II: dielectric n

Reflection and transmission at the
interface
Kr t Ki

Medium I: air Medium II: dielectric n

Reflection and transmission at the
interface
Kr t K+ Ki K-

Medium I: air Medium II: dielectric n

Reflection and transmission at the
interface
Kr t K+ Ki K-

Medium I: air Medium II: dielectric n

Characterization of EM fields
Kr t

Wr

Medium I: air Medium II: dielectric n

Wi
Ki

V
Characterization of EM fields
 The polarization of the incident wave is arbitrary, but can be
characterized by a normal and tangential component. The other
wave vectors can also be described similarly. Setting the
tangential components equal follows from continuity.

v v v v v v
ki  t   i nˆ kr  t   i nˆ k  t    nˆ
v v v v
v  t  nˆ, w  k  vˆ   tˆ  tnˆ
 The electric displacement fields are normal to their corresponding
k vectors.

v v
Ei  E  cos i vˆ  sin i wˆ i  eii Er  R  cos  r vˆ  sin  r wˆ r  eir
v v v
 E  T  cos   vˆ  sin   wˆ   ei   k  x  t
Characterization of EM fields
 The magnetic displacement field can be characterized using the
corresponding Maxwell’s equation.
v v
Hi  0
0 E   sin i vˆ  cos i wˆ i  e ii
H   0 k
 0 ki T   sin   vˆ  cos   wˆ   ei
v
Hr  0
0 R   sin  r vˆ  cos  r wˆ r  eir

 In each medium, the total field is the sum of the fields.

v v v v v v
Eair  Ei  Er Edielectric  E  E
v v v v v v
H air  H i  H r H dielectric  H   H 
Characterization of EM fields
Kr t

Wr

Medium I: air Medium II: dielectric n

Wi
Ki

V
Continuity conditions at interface.
 Continuity of all tangential components of the E and H fields at
the interface.
v v v v v v v v
 Ei  Er   nˆ   E  E   nˆ  H i  H r   nˆ   H   H    nˆ
or
v v v v v v v v
 Ei  Er   tˆ   E  E   tˆ  H i  H r   tˆ   H   H    tˆ
v v v v v v v v
 Ei  Er   vˆ   E  E   vˆ  H i  H r   vˆ   H   H    vˆ
 Since the wave vectors are already set equal in the tangential
direction, phase continuity is automatic.
 v v
  1  E  E    Rv  Ev
  v
v v
  1  E  E     i Rt   i Et
 t 
kT s in   kT sin    ki Rv  ki Ev
k T cos    k T cos    ki i Rt  ki i Et
 The alphas are determined directly from the incident wave vector
and the dispersion relation. The polarization angles in the
dielectric can also be found in a similar manner.

k i
2
 k2 I  E   k  E  k
T v
ˆe  cof   ki2  k2 I  kˆ  cof   ki2  k2 I   t    nˆ 
T

 cos    vˆ  eˆ
 To proceed further, let: nˆ  xˆ , tˆ  yˆ , and vˆ   zˆ
then t  k y , and i  kx
 k s in  k s in  0  ki   T   ki Et 
 
i   T   E 
11  12 k y 11   12 k y
 sin   sin   0
2
11 22 12 2
11 22 12   i t 
   Rv   Ev 

1
 33 cos   1
 33 cos   1 0 
   
 k  cos  k  cos   ki i 0    Rt  k  E
 i i v
   

T  
2ki i 
 
 i  
11  12t

11 22   2
12
k i Ev sin  
   i  11   12t
 
11 22   2
12
k i Et cos  

 


ki212t i
2
33 11 22 12 
sin          i k    11
2
11 22 12
 
  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos  


  i k   11
2
11 22  12

  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos   
  k s in  k s in  0  ki   T   ki Et 
 
i   T   E 
11  12 k y 11   12 k y
 sin   sin   0
2
11 22 12 2
11 22 12   i t 
   Rv   Ev 

1
 33 cos   1
 33 cos   1 0 
   
 k  cos  k  cos   ki i 0    Rt  k  E
 i i v
   



ki212t i
2
33 11 22 12 
sin          i k    11
2
11 22 12

  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos   

  i k   11
2
11 22  12

  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos   
2ki i
Rv    A0 sin   sin    Ev   A sin   cos    A sin   cos    Et 



A0   i  k  k  
11    k   k  12t  k  k 
2
11 22 12 k i

A 
1 
2 i   
k i   11 2 ki 
11 22 12
k  m m  133 ki i    33 
12
2
11 22 12 
ki2 


2ki i
Rt    B0 cos   cos    Et   B sin   cos    B sin   cos    Ev 
 33

B0    k    k B 
1
2 
2 i  2 11   12t
2
11 22 12
k i  k  i   11
2 ki 
11 22 12  km m
 33 ki i  1 
TM Polarization


ki212t i
2
33 11 22 12 
sin          i k    11
2
11 22 12
 
  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos  


  i k   11
2
11 22  12

  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos   

A0   i  k  k  
11    k   k  12t  k  k 
2
11 22 12 k i B 
1

2 
2 i  2 
211  12t
11 22 12
k i  k  i  11
2 ki 
11 22 12  km m
 33ki i  1 

T  
2ki i


 i  11  122t ki Ev sin  
11 22 12

2ki i 2ki i
Rv   A0 sin   sin    Ev Rt   B sin   cos    B sin   cos    Ev
  33
TE Polarization


ki212t i
2
33 11 22 12 
sin          i k    11
2
11 22 12
 
  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos  


  i k   11
2
11 22  12
 
  ki   k  133  i ki sin   cos  

B0    k    k A 
1 
2 i   k i  11
2 ki 
11 22 12 k 
m m 
 133 ki i  

12
2
33 11 22  12 
ki2 


2k 

T  m i i  i  11  122t ki Et cos  
 11 22 12

2ki i 2ki i
Rv   A sin   cos    A sin   cos    Et Rt   B0 cos   cos    Et
  33
Instabilities in the PML model
 Certain anisotropic problems give rise to instability, while
other do not.
 These instabilities can be examined and understood
through the dispersion relation.
 Implementing the PML makes the omegas complex. When
the imaginary part is positive, the model is stable, but
when it is negative, the model becomes unstable.
Instabilities in the PML model
 General orthotropic dielectrics can become unstable.
 Some instabilities grow quickly in time, and relate to
the physical modes. Others grow slowly, and are
created by nonphysical modes created by the PML
model.
Conclusions and Future Work
 Full 3 dimensional anisotropic characterization
 Reflection and transmission at material interface
 Construct PML model for anisotropic material
 Implement PML model to assess and study
instabilities