Optical Pulse Propagation and Gyrotropic Effects in Spatially Dispersive Media.

This thesis is concerned with an investigation of topics in the electrodynamics of spatially dispersive media. We examine the propagation of electromagnetic fields in the non-local, spatially dispersive media in which exciton polaritons are formed. Numerical estimates of energy-transport, group and signal velocities near exciton resonance are carried out. Studies on energy velocity are made on the assumption that the propagating modes in the medium are plane waves. As a next step, we examine Gaussian pulse propagation in spatially dispersive media, using a Fourier Transform method. We obtain expressions and results for velocity of peak propagation and distortion of the pulse. As a problem of weak spatial dispersion, wave propagation in an optically active medium is examined from a phenomenological approach. We retain k-linear terms in the inverse dielectric function. Additional boundary conditions are obtained in a mathematically consistent fashion. Reflectivity is calculated and numerical results are obtained. The problem of surface waves in gyrotropic media is considered and the dispersion equation for surface waves is studied. An Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) model experiment is formulated and analyzed quantitatively. For a model gyrotropic medium the question of extinction of the incident field is examined using an integral equation approach. The dispersion equation, the extinction condition and the additional boundary conditions are obtained.