Chapter 22 Maxwell Stress Tensor

22.0.1 Continuity
= J t

We rst note that for a conserved quantity, (22.1)

which represents the conservation: the rate of decrease of the density is equal to the divergence of the current density J. We can think of the current density as J =v where v is the velocity. This is also true for momentum p = JM t (22.2)

where p is the momentum density, and JM is the momentum density tensor. We can think of the momentum current density as JM = pv that is, the outer product of the momentum density and velocity, or of the momentum and the current density. The rate of change of momentum (per volume) is the force (per volume), so f= p = JM t (22.3)

is the body force. By integrating over the volume, we note that F= f dV = JM dV = 139 JM d A (22.4)

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so JM dA is the force per area, and it follows that the stress tensor T is just T = JM (22.5) and the force per area is just TdA.

22.0.2

Minkowski Stress Tensor

(Maxwell only did it for free space). We note that in the presence of electromagnetic elds, the force per volume acting on free charges is just ff = f E + f v B =f E + Jf B (22.6)

where f is the free charge density, and Jf is the free current density. (It is not possible to do a similar argument for all charges, since this would require the use of local elds, instead of the macroscopic Maxwell elds.) Since (22.7) D = f ree and H substitution gives ff = E( D) B H We note that then f f = E ( D) B H + D Substituting for B/t gives ff = E( D) B H D E (D B) t (22.12) B (D B ) t t (22.11) D B t (22.9) D = Jf t (22.8)

D B (D B) = B + D t t t

(22.10)

141 Since B =0 we can write (D B ) t (22.14) Next, we note that, as shown in the appendix, that, if the dielectric tensor is symmetric, ff = E( D) + H( B) B H D E 1 1 {E D E D } = (ED I(E D)) x 2 2 (22.15) Note that the dot product of the operator is with D, the second element of the tensor. Similarly, E ( D) D E = 1 H( B) B H = (HB I(H B)) 2 and so 1 ff = (ED + HB I(E D + H B)) (D B) 2 t (22.17) (22.16) (22.13)

Noting that ff = pf /t, where pf is the momentum density of the free charges, we write pf 1 + (D B) = {(ED + HB I(E D + H B))} t t 2 (22.18)

The rst term on the l.h.s. is the rate of change of momentum of the free charges. We identify the second term as the rate of change of momentum of the electromagnetic eld, and identify the term on the r.h.s. as the negative of the divergence of the momentum current density. We have identied the momentum density of the electromagnetic eld pEM = D B The momentum current density tensor is 1 JM = (ED + HB I(E D + H B)) 2 (22.20) (22.19)

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and the Minkowski stress tensor T is dened as the negative of this; that is, 1 T =(ED + HB I(E D + H B)) (22.21) 2 As before, the force per area is just TdA. In the case of vacuum, this reduces to the Maxwell stress tensor, 1 TM axwell = o (EE+c2 BB I(E D+c2 B B)) (22.22) 2 We now ask: What is the body force on matter? An Example: Before answering this question, it is useful to consider the example of the Poynting vector. One can show that the rate of change of the stored electromagnetic energy density is equal to the negative divergence of the energy current density, that is, E = (E H) (22.23) t where 1 1 E = D E+ B H (22.24) 2 2 One important point is the identication of the quantity E H as the energy current density. It allows calculation of the energy ow into a volume of material, even though the energy may not stay in the elds E, D, H, and B. For example, it allows the calculation of energy ow into absorbing materials, where the optical energy owing into the system, described by the Polying vector, is NOT equal to the rate of change of E , because other forms of energy storage are present. So we can write, in general, total = Jenergy (22.25) total t and writing total = E + other , we get other E + = (E H)Jenergy (22.26) other t t If the only source of energy to the system is the Poyting vector, then other E + = (E H) (22.27) t t or other = (E H) E (22.28) t t

143 Body Forces due to the Minkowski Stress Similar to the example above, we note that the momentum current density from the electromagnetic eld is JM = T (22.29) and momentum conservation gives pother pf + + (D B) = JM Jmomenum other t t t (22.30)

The total body force density (including the change of momentum density of the free charges), due to the electromagnetic eld is ftot = JM or ftot = T (D B ) t (22.31)

(D B ) t We note that, for optical frequencies, typically the time average < (D B) >time = 0 t

(22.32)

(22.33)

and the average body force is just 1 ftot = T = (ED + HB I(E D + H B)) 2 (22.34)

This is our main result. It enables us to calculate the force per volume on matter due to electromagnetic radiation if the elds are known. We note again, that the above expression for the stress tensor T is only valid if the dielectric tensor is symmetric. Since the total force on matter in some volume is F= ftot dV = 1 ((ED + HB I(E D + H B))dV 2 (22.35)

the divergence theorem gives F= 1 (ED + HB I(E D + H B))dA 2 (22.36)

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and again we note that the dot product in dA operates on the second (rightmost) element of the tensor T. We recognize therefore T as the usual stress; that is, force per area where the element of force acting on a surface element is dF = T dA (22.37) In conclusion, the Minkowski stress tensor 1 T = (ED + HB I(E D + H B)) 2 (22.38)

allows the calculation of forces (ant torques) on matter due to electromagnetic radiation.

Appendix In order to show that E( D) D E = 1 {E D E D } x 2 (22.39)

we need to look at the identity for two cross products. We write, if AB= C that C = a A B where is the Levi-Civita antisymmetric symbol. Now A B C = B(A C) C(A B) and writing this in indicial notation, we obtain A B C = B A C C A B which gives =

(22.40) (22.41)

(22.42)

(22.43)

(22.44)

145 We now use this identity, and write E( D) D E = E D D E x x = E D D E + D E x x x = E D + D E D E (22.45) x x x

Now we note that E D = E D + D E x x x and we can write E( D) D E = Next, we consider E D D E x x (22.47) (22.46)

E D = E E x x If the material is homogeneous, E D = E E = E E + E E x x x x and, if the dielectric tensor is symmetric, E D = D E + D E = 2D E x x x x Substituting D nally gives the result E ( D) D E = which can be written as E( D) D E = 1 {E D E D } x 2 1 E D E D x 2 x 1 E = E D x 2 x

(22.48)

(22.49)

(22.50)

(22.51)

(22.52)

(22.53)

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In vector form we can write this as 1 E( D) D E = (ED I(E D)) 2 (22.54)

however, we have to be careful to note that the del operator operates on the second term of the tensor.

Example: We consider reection from a mirror. Assume normal incidence, perfectly reecting mirror at z = 0. ei(kzt) and Hi = Ho y ei(kzt) Incident wave: Ei = Eo x Reected wave: Er = Eo x ei(kzt) and Hr = Ho y ei(kzt) Consider the body force: F= T dA (22.55)

Consider a small pill box on the interface. The sides are innitely small, so the contribution to the integral from there is zero. Inside the mirror, the elds are zero, so the contribution over the face inside the mirror is also zero. The only contribution is therefore from the entrance face of the pillbox. Here the normal is in the z direction; and since the elds are constant over the surface, F = T zA (22.56) or the force per area is F 1 = (ED + HB I(E D + H B)) z A 2 where the elds are evaluated at the entrance face. Here E = Ei + Er = 0 so F 1 = (HB I(H B)) z A 2 H = Hi + Hr = 2Ho y cos t (22.58) (22.57)

(22.59) (22.60)

Now

147 Since B = H, B z =0. Then F 1 2 = (H B) z= z2Ho cos2 t A 2 and averaging over time, we get < F 2 >= Ho z A (22.62) (22.61)

We note that Ho = Eo / /, and < F >= Eo Ho z A (22.63)

Recall our earlier approach: the number of photons per area per second striking the mirror is N (E i H i ) Eo Ho cos2 t = = t h h and on the average N Eo Ho >= t 2h Now each photon undergoes a momentum change of < h 2 z so the force per area on the mirror is < F Eo Ho h E o Ho >= 2 z= z = Eo Ho z A 2h (22.67) (22.64)

(22.65)

(22.66)

as before. So the two methods give the same result, as expected. The stress tensor method enables the calculation of body forces (and torques) in situations where the elds are more complicated. appendix

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