ABSTRACT

An electromagnetic wave propagating through a medium loses some of its energy as a result of its interaction with the medium. The most common conducting media are metals. Metals have strong absorption over a wide wavelength range. The interaction of electromagnetic waves with free electrons plays a major role in the absorption of light in metals. This chapter discusses the dielectric permittivity and impedance of a metal. Since the intensity of a wave is proportional to the square of its amplitude, the energy of the wave penetrating in the medium is restricted in a layer. The effect of localization of the electromagnetic wave energy in a layer near the medium surface is called the skin effect. The chapter describes the properties of surface waves at the interface between a dielectric and a conductor. It also includes exercise problems related to electromagnetic waves in conducting media.