The strong-property-fluctuation theory is developed for the homogenization of the linear dielectric, magnetic, and magnetoelectric properties of a two-constituent bianisotropic composite. The notion of a bianisotropic comparison medium (BCM) is introduced to serve as a springboard for the Dyson equation satisfied by the ensemble-averaged electromagnetic field. With the constitutive properties of the BCM serving as the zeroth-order solution of the Dyson equation, the first-order correction, known as the bilocal approximation, is obtained. Wave propagation in the composite can be described in this manner by a nonlocal effective medium containing information about the spatial correlations of the constitutive properties. For scales larger than the correlation length, the nonlocality vanishes and a local effective medium emerges. Analytical results for the local effective constitutive properties are presented after assuming a spherical particulate topology for the constituent mediums. Illustrative numerical results are provided.

• Received 5 June 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.62.6052