Electromagnetic Surface Waves

Preface

Uniform plane waves are the simplest (nontrivial) solutions of the Maxwell equations in the frequency domain. The components of the field phasors and their spatial variation along a fixed axis are described using a Cartesian coordinate system. In the simplest case, the medium of propagation is a linear and homogeneous material that extends to infinity in all directions. The mathematical apparatus needed here is quite elementary.

Plane waves in air (approximated as vacuum) and isotropic dielectric materials are sufficiently simple to be taught in an undergraduate course using the approach of separation of variables. Plane waves in uniaxial dielectric materials are typically introduced in a first-year graduate course. Plane waves in bianisotropic ...