Chapter 3

Electromagnetic theory, Photons.

and Light
Lecture 6
Pointing vector and Irradiance
Photons
Radiation
Electromagnetic spectrum
Energy of EM wave
It was shown (in Phys 272) that field
energy densities are:
2
0
2
E u
E
c
=
2
0
2
1
B u
B

=
Since E=cB and c=(c
0

0
)
-1/2
:
B E
u u =
- the energy in EM wave is shared equally
between electric and magnetic fields
Total energy:
2
0
2
0
1
B E u u u
B E

c = = + = (W/m
2
)
The Poynting vector
EM field contains energy that propagates
through space at speed c
Energy transported through area A in time
At: uAcAt
( ) EB EB cB E c E c uc
t A
t uAc
S
0
0
0 0
0
2
0
1 1

c
c
c c = = = = =
A
A
=
Energy S transported by a wave through
unit area in unit time:
E
c
2
The Poynting vector:
B E S

=
0
1

power flow per unit area for a

wave, direction of propagation
is direction of S.
(units: W/m
2
)
John Henry Poynting
(1852-1914)
The Poynting vector: polarized harmonic wave
B E S

=
0
1

Polarized EM wave:
| | t r k E E e =


cos
0
| | t r k B B e =


cos
0
Poynting vector:
( ) | | t r k B E S e

=


2
0 0
0
cos
1
This is instantaneous value: S is oscillating
Light field oscillates at ~10
15
Hz -
most detectors will see average value of S.
Irradiance
( ) | | t r k B E S e

=


2
0 0
0
cos
1
Average value for periodic function:
need to average one period only.
It can be shown that average of cos
2
is: ( ) 2 1 cos
2
=
T
t e
2
0
0
0 0
0
2 2
1
E
c
B E S
T
c

= =
And average power flow per unit time:
Irradiance:
2
0
0
2
E
c
S I
T
c
=
Alternative eq-ns:
T T
B
c
E c I
2
0
2
0

c = =
Usually mostly E-field component interacts with matter, and we
will refer to E as optical field and use energy eq-ns with E
Irradiance is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the E field
For linear isotropic
dielectric:
T
E I
2
v c =
Optical power radiant flux total power falling on some area (Watts)
Spherical wave: inverse square law
Spherical waves are produced by point sources.
As you move away from the source light intensity
drops
( ) ( ) | | t r k
r
t r v cos ,
A
=
Spherical wave eq-n:
| | t r k
r
E
E e =

cos
0
| | t r k
r
B
B e =

cos
0
| | t r k
r
B
r
E
S e

|
|
.
|

\
|
=

2
0 0
0
cos
1
2
0
2
0
1
2
E
r
c
S I
T
c
=
Inverse square law: the irradiance from a point source drops as 1/r
2
Classical EM waves versus photons
The energy of a single light photon is E=hv
The Plancks constant h = 6.62610
-34
Js
Visible light wavelength is ~ 0.5 m
J 10 4
19
1

~ = =

v
c
h h E
Example: laser pointer output power is ~ 1 mW
number of photons emitted every second:
photons/s 10 5 . 2
J/photon 10 4
J/s 10
15
19
3
1
=

E
P
Conclusion: in many every day situations the quantum nature of
light is not pronounced and light could be treated as a classical
EM wave
Photon counter
It is possible to detect single photons
Example: photomultiplier tube (PMT)
Photon kicks an electron out of
cathode
The electron is accelerated by an
E-field toward a dynode
The accelerated electron strikes
the dynode and kicks out more
electrons
Many dynodes are used to get
burst of ~10
5
electrons per single
photoelectron
The burst of electron current can
be detected electronically
Photon statistics
PMT
low power
light beam
Photons arrive at random.
Poisson distribution of photons
arriving at detector during time T
Radiation pressure
Using classical EM theory Maxwell showed that radiation pressure
equals the energy density of the EM waves:
2
0
2
0
2
1
2
B E u

c
+ = = P
uc S =
( )
( )
c
t S
t = P
This is the instantaneous pressure that would be exerted on a
perfectly absorbing surface by a normally incident beam
Average pressure: ( )
( )
c
I
c
t S
t
T
T
= = P (N/m
2
)
* for reflecting surface pressure doubles
* in quantum picture each photon has a momentum:

h
p =
k p

=
or , where
t 2
h

propagation vector
Experimental confirmation:
Compton effect
Example problem
A laser pointer emits light at 630 nm in xy plane at u=45
0
to axis x
(counter clock-wise). The light is polarized along axis z , beam
cross-section is A=1 mm
2
and its power is P=1 mW.
1. Write an equation of E and B components of this EM wave for the
region of the beam.
x
y
z
| | t r k E E e =


cos
0
Find e: t tv e c 2 2 = =
Find k: ( ) u u t sin

cos

2 j i k + =

Find E
0
:
Irradiance:
2
0
0
2
E
c
I
A
P c
=
0 0
2 c Ac P E =
k

2
0 0
c Ac P E =

( )
(

+ = t
c
r j i
Ac
P
E

t
u u

t
c
2
sin

cos

2
cos k

2
0

Electric field:
B
E
Example problem (continued)
( )
(

+ = t
c
r j i
Ac
P
E

t
u u

t
c
2
sin

cos

2
cos k

2
0

x
y
z
B
| | t r k B B e =


cos
0
Magnetic field:
It is in phase with E.
Need only find its amplitude and direction.
0
0 0
2 1
/
c Ac
P
c
c E B = =
( ) u u
c
cos

sin

2 1
0
0
j i
Ac
P
c
B =

( ) ( )
(

+ = t
c
r j i j i
Ac
P
c
B

t
u u

t
u u
c
2
sin

cos

2
cos cos

sin

2 1
0

Example problem (continued)

2. This laser beam is reflected backwards by a mirror. What is
the average force on the mirror due to the radiation pressure?
( )
Ac
P
c
I
t
T
2 2 = = P Find average pressure
Find force: ( ) N 10 6 . 6
m/s 10 3
W 10
2 2
12
8
3

= = =
c
P
A t F
T
P
3. How much energy is contained in EM field of 1 m long beam?
Power is amount of energy per unit time. During one second,
light travels c meters:
J 10 3 . 3 m 1
m/s 10 3
J/s 10
) 1 (
12
8
3

= = L
c
P
m Energy
Alternatively can find u using E
0
and multiply by volume
Radiation: accelerated charges
Electromagnetic pulse can propagate in space
How can we initiate such pulse?
Short pulse of transverse
electric field
Field of a moving charge
Radiation: accelerated charges
1. Transverse pulse
propagates at speed of
light
2. Since E(t) there must
be B
3. Direction of v is given
by:
B E

E
B
v
Electric dipole radiation
Oscillating charges in dipole create sinusoidal E
field and generate EM radiation
Electric dipole radiation
Dipole moment:
( )
( ) t
t d d
qd
e
e
cos
cos
0
0
p p
p
=
=
=
Electric field of oscillating dipole:
( )
r
t kr k
E
e
tc
u
=
cos
4
sin
0
2
0
p
( )
( )
2
2
0
3 2
4
2
0
sin
32 r c
I
u
c t
e
u
p
=
Irradiance:
* EM wave is polarized along dipole
* I ~ e
4
- higher frequency, stronger radiation
* No radiation emitted in direction of dipole