Nonlocal optical response and surface susceptibilities: A systematic derivation via spatial moment expansion

We present a systematic theory connecting the nonlocal response kernel of a homogeneous medium to its effective surface susceptibilities for an arbitrary curved interface. Starting from the most general tensorial nonlocal constitutive relation and combining a spatial moment expansion with a distributional thin-layer limit, we show that the full complexity of the interfacial response condenses, at leading order, into a single scalar: the surface susceptibility $χ^s$, equal for the tangential and normal components of the electric field. These quantities provide a constructive generalization of the Feibelman $d$-parameters to interfaces of arbitrary curvature, and the curvature corrections, proportional to the geometric invariants $H$ (mean curvature) and $K$ (Gaussian curvature), are derived explicitly. The formalism is illustrated on a comprehensive set of analytically tractable cases (planar, spherical, cylindrical, and ellipsoidal interfaces) for several kernel choices (Gaussian, Yukawa, tensorial Lorentz). Generalized Maxwell boundary conditions are established and compared with the classical Fresnel results.

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Publication Details

Journal
Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Published
2026-10-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/xp4h-j5nv
Primary Topic
Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Nonlocal optical response and surface susceptibilities: A systematic derivation via spatial moment expansion

Frédéric Zolla
1 links
Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics
article

Nonlocal optical response and surface susceptibilities: A systematic derivation via spatial moment expansion

Frédéric Zolla
article en

Abstract

We present a systematic theory connecting the nonlocal response kernel of a homogeneous medium to its effective surface susceptibilities for an arbitrary curved interface. Starting from the most general tensorial nonlocal constitutive relation and combining a spatial moment expansion with a distributional thin-layer limit, we show that the full complexity of the interfacial response condenses, at leading order, into a single scalar: the surface susceptibility $χ^s$, equal for the tangential and normal components of the electric field. These quantities provide a constructive generalization of the Feibelman $d$-parameters to interfaces of arbitrary curvature, and the curvature corrections, proportional to the geometric invariants $H$ (mean curvature) and $K$ (Gaussian curvature), are derived explicitly. The formalism is illustrated on a comprehensive set of analytically tractable cases (planar, spherical, cylindrical, and ellipsoidal interfaces) for several kernel choices (Gaussian, Yukawa, tensorial Lorentz). Generalized Maxwell boundary conditions are established and compared with the classical Fresnel results.

Physical review. B./Physical review. B
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics
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