Passivity constraints on the relations between transmission, reflection, and absorption eigenvalues

Abstract

We investigate the passivity constraints on the relations between transmission, reflection, and absorption eigenvalues in linear time-invariant systems. Using techniques from matrix analysis, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the permissible combinations of these eigenvalues. Our analysis reveals that the set of allowable eigenvalue combinations forms a convex polyhedron in eigenvalue space, characterized by a trace equality and a set of linear inequalities. Surprisingly, we uncover a direct connection between this physical problem and Alfred Horn's inequalities, a fundamental result in matrix theory. We provide explicit examples for systems with varying numbers of input ports, demonstrating the increasing complexity of the constraints as system size grows. We apply our theory to analyze the implications of important phenomena, including open and closed channels, coherent perfect reflection and reflectionless scattering modes, and coherent perfect absorption and coherent zero absorption. Our findings not only offer a complete characterization of passivity constraints on wave transport eigenvalues but also establish an unexpected bridge between fundamental wave physics and advanced matrix theory, opening new avenues for research at their intersection. These results have significant implications for the design and optimization of passive wave devices across a wide range of applications in optics, acoustics, and mesoscopic physics.