Open AccessCoherent-form energy conservation relation for the elastic scattering of a guided mode in a symmetric scattering system
Author(s) -
Haitao Liu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.024093
Subject(s) - scattering , superposition principle , physics , scattering theory , optics , elastic scattering , reflection (computer programming) , computational physics , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
We propose a coherent-form energy conservation relation (ECR) that is generally valid for the elastic transmission and reflection of a guided mode in a symmetric scattering system. In contrast with the classical incoherent-form ECR, |τ|2 + |ρ|2≤1 with τ and ρ denoting the elastic transmission and reflection coefficients of a guided mode, the coherent-form ECR is expressed as |τ + ρ|≤1, which imposes a constraint on a coherent superposition of the transmitted and reflected modes. The coherent-form ECR is rigorously demonstrated and is numerically tested by considering different types of modes in various scattering systems. Further discussions with the scattering matrix formalism indicate that two coherent-form ECRs, |τ + ρ|≤1 and |τ-ρ|≤1, along with the classical ECR |τ|2 + |ρ|2≤1 constitute a complete description of the energy conservation for the elastic scattering of a guided mode in a symmetric scattering system. The coherent-form ECR provides a common tool in terms of energy transfer for understanding and analyzing the scattering dynamics in currently interested scattering systems.