Abstract

According to Feynman, E and B are slowly disappearing from the modern expression of physical laws and are being replaced by A and Φ.¹ This can be understood by considering that the Hamiltonian or Lagrangian of an electron emitting or absorbing the photon contains A and Φ instead of B and E, respectively. The physical meaning of vector potential A has been clarified by the recent interference experiment of electron waves.² Hence I shall describe the wave optics of magnetic vector potential A and scalar potential Φ in conjunction with the plane waves and electric and magnetic dipole oscillators. The boundary conditions for A and Φ are derived for both dielectric and conducting boundaries and are shown to be consistent with those for the electromagnetic waves. The field energy density, Poynting, and reciprocity theorems for A and Φ waves are also treated.

© 1988 Optical Society of America