A Laser beam represented with complex conjugate?

[betelgeuse91]

Boyd - Nonlinear Optics page 5, there says 'Here a laser beam whose electric field strength is represented as $$\widetilde{E}(t) = Ee^{-iwt} + c.c$$But why is it written like this? Is it because the strength is the real part of the complex electric field? Then why doesn't he divide it by 2 after adding those two?

 

[BvU]

It's simply a representation of a time-dependent E-field. Your $\tilde E(t)$ is real, by the way:$$\tilde E(t)= 2E\cos(\omega t)$$and that $2E$ is some arbitrary amplitude.

You might enjoy some nice animations, like here or here

 

[betelgeuse91]

It's simply a representation of a time-dependent E-field. Your $\tilde E(t)$ is real, by the way:$$\tilde E(t)= 2E\cos(\omega t)$$and that $2E$ is some arbitrary amplitude.

You might enjoy some nice animations, like here or here

I see. Thank you!