Electromagnetic Waves and Optics

A Linear Systems Approach

By: Navin Khaneja

Write A Review

eText | 6 March 2025

At a Glance

Format
ePUB

eText

$219.00

or 4 interest-free payments of $54.75 with

Instant online reading in your Booktopia eTextbook Library *

Why choose an eTextbook?

Instant Access *

Purchase and read your book immediately

Read Aloud

Listen and follow along as Bookshelf reads to you

Study Tools

Built-in study tools like highlights and more

* eTextbooks are not downloadable to your eReader or an app and can be accessed via web browsers only. You must be connected to the internet and have no technical issues with your device or browser that could prevent the eTextbook from operating.

The book explores electromagnetic (EM) waves, which are present everywhere—from radio, television, and cell phones to satellite dishes, antennas, and WiFi. The propagation of EM waves is governed by Maxwell's equations. When these waves pass through a medium, they slow down and refract, while in a metallic medium, they are reflected. Metallic boxes and pipes can store and direct EM waves, known as cavities and waveguides. Oscillating currents generate and transmit EM waves through antennas, allowing for long-distance communication after the waves propagate. Since oscillating currents emit EM waves, the author uses coaxial cables and transmission lines to reduce radiation and carry high-frequency currents efficiently. EM waves at very high frequencies in the optical range are responsible for transmitting visual information. The author also discusses lenses and optical instruments like telescopes and microscopes, which are used to magnify optical signals. Additionally, the quantum mechanical origins of a material's permittivity, which affects the speed of light through the medium, are examined.