We develop a fundamental transfer-matrix formulation of the scattering of electromagnetic (EM) waves that incorporates the contribution of the evanescent waves and applies to general stationary linear media which need not be isotropic, homogenous, or passive. Unlike the traditional transfer matrices whose definition involves slicing the medium, the fundamental transfer matrix is a linear operator acting in an infinite-dimensional function space. It is given in terms of the evolution operator for a nonunitary quantum system and has the benefit of allowing for analytic calculations. In this respect it is the only available alternative to the standard Green's-function approaches to EM scattering. We use it to offer an exact solution of the outstanding EM scattering problem for an arbitrary finite collection of possibly anisotropic nonmagnetic point scatterers lying on a plane. In particular, we provide a comprehensive treatment of doublets consisting of pairs of isotropic point scatterers and study their spectral singularities. We show that identical and $\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric doublets do not admit spectral singularities and cannot function as a laser unless the real part of their permittivity equals that of the vacuum. This restriction does not apply to doublets displaying anti-$\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetry. We determine the lasing threshold for a generic anti-$\mathcal{P}\mathcal{T}$-symmetric doublet and show that it possesses a continuous lasing spectrum.

• Received 10 September 2022
• Accepted 5 December 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.107.012203