Classical Theory of Optical Dispersion

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Abstract
Classically the complex dielectric constant of a material is calculated as a function of the frequency of light by treating the electrons and ions as harmonic oscillators or free particles. Since the result is formally the same as quantum results, it has considerable practical usefulness. The complex refractive index determines the propagation of light in the medium and its reflection at a free surface.Dispersion is always associated with absorption, but the details of the frequency dependence of the optical constants vary rather widely with the kind of material. All the limiting cases are discussed separately. Relations such as those of Kramers-Kronig and Lyddane-Sachs-Teller follow easily from the model. The results are applied to some examples in real solid materials.

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