WKB theory of wave tunneling for Hermitian and nearly Hermitian vector systems of integral equations

A general theory of wave tunneling in one dimension for Hermitian and nearly Hermitian vector systems of integral equations is presented. It describes mode conversion in terms of the general dielectric tensor of the medium and properly accounts for the forward and backward nature of the waves without regard to specific models. Energy conservation in the WKB approximation can be obtained for general Hermitian systems by the use of modified Furry rules that are similar to those used by Heading for second-order differential equations. Wave energy absorption can then be calculated perturbatively using the conservation properties of the dominant Hermitian operator. Operational graphical rules are developed to construct global wave solutions and to determine the direction of energy flow for spatially disconnected roots. In principle, these rules could be applied to systems with arbitrary mode complexity. Coupling coefficients for wave tunneling problems with up to four interacting modes are calculated explicitly.