Relativistic Field Theory for Microwave Engineers

In my recent book, Relativistic Field Theory for Microwave Engineers, I discuss the often-overlooked connection between Maxwell's equations and Einstein's theory of special relativity. Electrical engineers, especially those who work in the areas of microwaves and wireless radio technology, are well-positioned to have a unique perspective on these subjects, as it was wave solutions to Maxwell's equations, revealing for the first time that light is an electromagnetic wave, which motivated special relativity in the first place.

My presentation will provide a brief overview of the book's contents, beginning with a discussion of the features of Minkowski spacetime, and how this leads to a reference-frame dependent view of electromagnetic fields and waves. I will then illustrate the advantages of a recasting Maxwell's equations directly into a spacetime model, where the electric and magnetic fields are unified into a single, four-dimensional construct, the Faraday field. This transformation has profound conceptual, mathematical, and even practical implications. Engineers trained in classical wave propagation will learn to see their field from a new perspective, and shall gain from that new insight the ability to conceive of unexpected solutions to practical engineering problems that might otherwise defy one's intuition.