Classic Papers

Classic Papers on Light Scattering

Electromagnetic scattering by a homogeneous, isotropic sphere is commonly referred to as Mie theory, although Gustav Mie (1868 - 1957) was not the first to formulate this electromagnetic scattering problem. Before him Alfred Clebsch (1833 - 1872), solving the elastic point source scattering problem of a perfectly rigid sphere using potential functions and Ludvig Lorenz (1829-1891) contributed to this problem. In 1909 Peter Debye (1884 - 1966) considered the related problem of radiation pressure on a spherical particle utilizing two scalar potential functions. Therefore plane wave scattering by a homogeneous isotropic sphere is also referred to as Lorenz-Mie theory, or even Lorenz-Mie-Debye theory.

broken links updated (16 April 2019)

[1] Alfred Clebsch: Ueber die Reflexion an einer Kugelfläche. Journal für Mathematik, Band 61, 1863, Heft 3, p 195-262.
[2] Ludvig Lorenz: Lysbevaegelsen i og uden for en af plane Lysbolger belyst Kugle. Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Skrifter, 6. Raekke, 6. Bind, 1890,1, p 1-62.
[3] Ludvig Lorenz: Sur la lumière réfléchie et réfractée par une sphère (surface) transparente. in Oeuvres scientifiques de L. Lorenz. revues et annotées par H. Valentiner. Tome Premier, Libraire Lehmann & Stage, Copenhague, 1898, p 403-529.
[3a] Ludvig Lorenz: Light propagation in and outside a sphere illuminated by plane waves of light. Translated by Jeppe Revall Frisvad and Helge Kragh (Copenhagen 2018).
[4] Gustav Mie: Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell kolloidaler Metallösungen. Annalen der Physik, Vierte Folge, Band 25, 1908, No. 3, p 377-445.
[5] Gustav Mie: Contributions to the optics of turbid media, particularly of colloidal metal solutions. Royal Aircraft Establishment, Library Translation 1873, 1976, RAE-Lit-Trans-1873.
[6] Gustav Mie: Contributions on the optics of turbid media, particularly colloidal metal solutions --- Translation. Sandia Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1978, SAND78-6018. National Translation Center, Chicago, ILL, Translation 79-21946.
[7] Peter Debye: Der Lichtdruck auf Kugeln von beliebigem Material. Annalen der Physik, Vierte Folge, Band 30, 1909, No. 1, p 57-136.
[8] Arnold Sommerfeld: Über die Ausbreitung der Wellen in der drahtlosen Telegraphie. Annalen der Physik, Vierte Folge, Band 28, 1909, No. 4, p 665-736.
[9] A. E. H. Love: The scattering of electric waves by a dielectric sphere. Proc. London Math. Soc. v. 30 (1899) p. 308-321.
[10] Fantisek Záviška: Über die Beugung elektromagnetischer Wellen an parallelen, unendlich langen Kreiszylindern. Annalen der Physik Folge 4, Band 40, p. 1023–1056.
[11] J. V. Dave: Subroutines for Computing the Parameters of the Electromagnetic Radiation Scattered by a Sphere, Report 320-3237 IBM Scientific Center, Palo Alto, Calif., (1968).