UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE 452 Electromagnetic Waves and Electro-Optics

Fall 2017 Issued 09/14/2016

Problem Set No.3 Due: 09/21/2016
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Problem 1. Plane wave propagation in lossy media
A linearly polarized uniform time-harmonic light plane wave of frequency 0.3626984x1015 Hz is
propagating in the positive z direction inside an InP semiconductor. The amplitude of the electric field at
the origin is 19.41626 mV/m.
a) Calculate the complex permittivity of InP at this frequency. (Hint: See Appendix B in S.L.Chuang’s
Physics of Photonic Devices, 2nd ed.).
b) Calculate the time-average power density at a distance of 1cm from the origin
c) Give time-harmonic expressions for the electric and magnetic fields of the light wave. Make sure
to give numerical values for as many of the parameters in the expression for the fields as you can
deduce from the given information.

Problem 2. Plane wave reflection at material interfaces

A circularly polarized time-harmonic light plane wave propagating in air encounters the planar interface of
a bulk Si semiconductor occupying the half space x≤0. The wavelength of light in air is 1.310m. The
amplitude of the electric field at the origin is 0.01 V/m. Hint: refractive index can be found in Lecture 4
slides, page 4.
a) What should be the angle of incidence for the reflected wave to be linearly polarized?
b) For the angle of incidence obtained in a) calculate the reflected electric field.
c) For the angle of incidence obtained in a) calculate the transmitted electric field.

Problem 3. Plane wave reflection at material interfaces

A time-harmonic plane wave propagating in air encounters an air/Si planar interface at normal incidence.
The free-space wavelength is 1.310m.
a) Calculate the reflection and transmission coefficients.
b) Repeat part a) for the case where the wave is incident from the Si region into the Si/air interface
at normal incidence.
Hint: See Eq. 5.6.22for special case for normal incidence in S.L.Chuang (Physics of Photonic Devices, 2nd
ed.) as well as in Lecture 5 notes. Refractive index of Si can be found in Lecture 4 slides, page 4.

Problem 4. Plane wave reflection at material interfaces

Plot the power reflectivity as a function of the angle of incidence for TE and TM polarizations for:
a) A time-harmonic plane wave propagating in air of wavelength 1.450m encountering an air/Si
planar interface.
b) A time-harmonic plane wave of free-space wavelength of 1.450m propagating in Si encountering
the Si/air planar interface.