Functional approach to electrodynamics of media
- Author(s)
- R. Starke, G. A. H. Schober
- Abstract
In this article, we put forward a new approach to electrodynamics of materials. Based on the identification of induced electromagnetic fields as the microscopic counterparts of polarization and magnetization, we systematically employ the mutual functional dependencies of induced, external and total field quantities. This allows for a unified, relativistic description of the electromagnetic response without assuming the material to be composed of electric or magnetic dipoles. Using this approach, we derive universal (material-independent) relations between electromagnetic response functions such as the dielectric tensor, the magnetic susceptibility and the microscopic conductivity tensor. Our formulae can be reduced to well-known identities in special cases, but more generally include the effects of inhomogeneity, anisotropy, magnetoelectric coupling and relativistic retardation. If combined with the Kubo formalism, they would also lend themselves to the ab initio calculation of all linear electromagnetic response functions.
- Organisation(s)
- Computational Materials Physics
- External organisation(s)
- Scientific Software Center, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
- Journal
- Photonics and nanostructures-Fundamentals and Applications
- Volume
- 14
- Pages
- 1-34
- No. of pages
- 34
- ISSN
- 1569-4410
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.photonics.2015.02.001
- Publication date
- 04-2015
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103025 Quantum mechanics, 103036 Theoretical physics, 103015 Condensed matter, 103009 Solid state physics
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Condensed Matter Physics, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Hardware and Architecture
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/ec254c65-94fc-4cd4-a6e9-67d102819c6c