Electric Fields and Poynting Vectors in Dielectric Gratings

Abstract

The electric field E is the most significant of the several fields of electromagnetic radiation, because it indicates regions of dielectric response. The nodes and antinodes of plane wave structure are clearly visible in plots of the E field, as are regions of localized enhancement near grating surfaces. It is in these enhanced field regions that one expects to find the strongest photoelectric response, or the first damage as the field is increased.