Physics & Spacearticle2026-10-08

Generalized Snell’s Law and Maxwell Equations

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Abstract

Abstract. This paper examines the Maxwell system of electrodynamics within the framework of distributions. A primary objective is to establish general boundary conditions for fields at interfaces when the charge and current densities are measures localized on the interface. From this analysis, the paper presents a derivation of the generalized Snell’s law, along with formulas for the amplitudes of the reflected and transmitted waves in terms of the incident amplitude.

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View paper (DOI)Open access versionOpenAlexSIAM Journal on Applied MathematicsPublished 2026-10-08

Authors: Cristian E. Gutiérrez, Ahmad Sabra

Institutions: Temple University, American University of Beirut