Electromagnetic Propagation in Homogeneous Media With Hermitian Permeability and Permittivity

The problem of electromagnetic radiation traveling in a general homogeneous, but anisotropic and gyrotropic, medium has been solved. The plane wave representation is used to convert Maxwell's equations into a general eigenproblem, which allows for tensor permeability and permittivity and for electric and magnetic gyrotropy. This formulation can be applied directly to computer evaluation of wave velocities and polarizations for a given wave-normal direction. The reflection and refraction directions and amplitudes at an interface between two different, general anisotropic and gyrotropic media are solved. It is outlined how, with the aid of a digital computer, ray tracing through a general succession of anisotropic and gyrotropic, but locally homogeneous, media can be carried out.