Green function for hyperbolic media

Abstract

We revisit the problem of the electromagnetic Green function for homogeneous hyperbolic media, where longitudinal and transverse components of the dielectric permittivity tensor have different signs. We analyze the dipole emission patterns for both dipole orientations with respect to the symmetry axis and for different signs of dielectric constants, and show that the emission pattern is highly anisotropic and has a characteristic crosslike shape: the waves are propagating within a certain cone and are evanescent outside this cone. We demonstrate the coexistence of the conelike pattern due to emission of the extraordinary TM-polarized waves and elliptical pattern due to emission of ordinary TE-polarized waves. We find a singular complex term in the Green function, proportional to the δ function and governing the photonic density of states and Purcell effect in hyperbolic media.