Leaky modes of solid dielectric spheres

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11 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the absence of external excitation, light trapped within a dielectric medium generally decays by leaking out, and also by getting absorbed within the medium. We analyze the leaky modes of solid dielectric spheres by examining solutions of Maxwell's equations for simple homogeneous, isotropic, linearly dispersive media that admit complex-valued oscillation frequencies. We show that, under appropriate circumstances, these leaky modes constitute a complete set into which an initial electromagnetic field distribution inside a dielectric sphere can be expanded. We provide the outline of a completeness proof, and also present results of numerical calculations that illustrate the close relationship between the leaky modes and the resonances of solid dielectric spherical cavities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number013846
JournalPhysical Review A
Volume96
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 24 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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