Electromagnetic Fundamentals

Abstract

Following a brief overview or review of the history of electricity, electromagnetic waves and related phenomena are discussed in the context of Maxwell’s equations and the development of the so-called wave-optics equation which was the precursor to the Schrödinger equation as will be discussed in the chapter “A Brief Introduction to Quantum Mechanics.” The important issues to be illustrated in this chapter (chapter “Electromagnetic Fundamentals”) are the identification and evolution of fundamental materials properties: permittivity (ε), permeability (μ), index of refraction (n), conductivity and resistivity (σ and ρ), Ohm’s law, and the interrelationship of these materials properties as well as their measurement. This provides a context for materials properties historically and illustrates the role that Maxwell and his mathematical contributions have had in establishing quantum mechanics and its fundamental role in the behavior of materials, particularly nanomaterials.