Electromagnetic and Potential Scattering from a Radially Inhomogeneous Sphere

TL;DR

This paper analyzes electromagnetic scattering by a radially inhomogeneous sphere, reducing the problem to scalar equations and applying potential scattering theory to derive insights about different refractive index profiles.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze electromagnetic scattering from inhomogeneous spheres using scalar equations and potential scattering theory, providing new analytical insights.

Findings

Reduction to Schrödinger-like equations

Connection with potential scattering theory

Insights into specific refractive index profiles

Abstract

Aspects of of plane wave electromagnetic scattering by a radially inhomogeneous sphere is discussed. The vector problem is reduced to two scalar radial `Schr\"odinger-like' equations, and a connection with time-independent potential scattering theory is exploited to draw several conclusions about specific refractive index profiles.