Can light have longitudinal, temporal, or scalar polarization in a medium?

jk22 · Apr 4, 2013

I heard that light in a medium can have longitudinal polarization i.e the e field in the direction of propagation, but i saw in a qed course that light can have temporal or scalar polarization (the E0 component). What is that one and how can one obtain this kind of polarization experimentally ?
Thanks.

Andy Resnick · Apr 4, 2013

The 'near field' generally has a longitudinal component- this is a non-propagating mode. Anything that generates an EM field is said to be 'covered' by the near field.

You will likely learn more about this in the RF and antenna design literature.

DrDu · Apr 5, 2013

Modes with longitudinal polarization can also occur for light propagating in media. They are called there plasmon-polaritons.

Can light have longitudinal, temporal, or scalar polarization in a medium?

Discussion

Similar threads

High School How Can Light Have No Mass Yet Transfer Energy?

Graduate Can Light Have Momentum Without Mass? A Question of Units

Graduate Can light have lateral momentum, and if so, as a particle or wave or both?

Graduate How can light have measurable velocity if it has no mass?

Graduate How can light have momentum if it has zero mass?

Undergrad Light Momentum: How Can Light Have Momentum if its Speed is Constant?

High School How can light have a frequency and how do you change it?

Graduate Can light have a phase velocity faster than c?

Graduate How Can Light Have Speed Yet Be Timeless?