Electromagnetic Shock Waves in Gyromagnetic Media

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Abstract
The propagation of finite amplitude electromagnetic waves in a gyromagnetic medium is discussed. It is shown, using the method of characteristics, that in the quasistatic or low frequency limit a wave propagating parallel to the external dc magnetic field distorts continuously until a discontinuity or electromagnetic shock wave appears in the wave profile. When higher‐order effects are taken into account, the shock front is found to have a finite width which is reached by a balance between the nonlinear wave‐steepening torque term and the wave‐broadening loss term. The calculated shock‐front width is found to be independent of crystalline anisotropy and exchange and magnetoelastic effects. The theoretical results are compared with numerical calculations and the possibility of using electromagnetic shock waves in pulse sharpening networks and microwave devices is discussed.

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