Perfect electromagnetic conductor

TL;DR

This paper introduces the PEMC medium, a generalized electromagnetic medium combining properties of PEC and PMC, characterized by unique nonreciprocal reflection effects, and interprets it through differential forms and classical vectors.

Contribution

It defines the PEMC medium as a new class of electromagnetic medium unifying PEC and PMC properties, with a detailed theoretical interpretation and analysis of wave reflection behavior.

Findings

PEMC acts as a generalization of PEC and PMC media.

Reflected waves from PEMC interfaces exhibit cross-polarization.

PEMC demonstrates nonreciprocal reflection properties.

Abstract

In differential-form representation, the Maxwell equations are represented by simple differential relations between the electromagnetic two-forms and source three-forms while the electromagnetic medium is defined through a constitutive relation between the two-forms. The simplest of such relations expresses the electromagnetic two-forms as scalar multiples of one another. Because of its strange properties, the corresponding medium has been considered as nonphysical. In this study such a medium is interpreted in terms of the classical Gibbsian vectors as a bi-isotropic medium with infinite values for its four medium parameters. It is shown that the medium is a generalization of both PEC (perfect electric conductor) and PMC (perfect magnetic conductor) media, with similar properties. This is why the medium is labeled as PEMC (perfect electromagnetic conductor). Defining a certain class of duality transformations, PEMC medium can be transformed to PEC or PMC media. As an application, plane-wave reflection from a planar interface of air and PEMC medium is studied. It is shown that, in general, the reflected wave has a cross-polarized component, which is a manifestly nonreciprocal effect.