New electrodynamic effects in transparent optical media

Розанов Н.Н., Сочилин Г.Б. Новые электродинамические эффекты в прозрачных оптических средах // Оптический журнал. 2009. Т. 76. № 4. С. 86–96.

Rozanov N.N., Sochilin G.B. New electrodynamic effects in transparent optical media [in Russian] // Opticheskii Zhurnal. 2009. V. 76. № 4. P. 86–96.

N. N. Rozanov and G. B. Sochilin, "New electrodynamic effects in transparent optical media," Journal of Optical Technology. 76 (4), 234-242 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1364/JOT.76.000234

This paper presents a systematic theory of electrodynamic relativistic first-order effects in media with spatially inhomogeneous velocity. A geometrooptical approach is developed in terms of which the ray curvatures and changes of the polarization characteristics of the radiation as it passes through a continuous medium with inhomogeneous velocity are found. Nonreciprocal waveguides and lenses (that differ for opposite propagation directions) are demonstrated in a medium with transverse inhomogeneity of the velocity. Scattering (diffraction) of radiation at a localized velocity inhomogeneity is studied. The possibility of masking regions of space so that they become invisible is studied, and the influence of the motion of such a region is analyzed. The velocity inhomogeneity that appears when a region moves causes the radiation reflected from the boundary to appear and makes the inhomogeneity visible. A correct theory is constructed for the reflection of weak radiation from inhomogeneities induced by intense laser pulses in a fixed nonlinear medium and moving with the (group) velocity of light.

The authors are thankful to Al.S Kiselev and An.S. Kiselev for their help. The research was supported by RFBR (grant No. 05-02-16342).