Past exam of the optics and electrodynamics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / Section B / B5 / Rayleigh limit

In Rayleigh scattering, a small bound system develops an induced electric dipole moment $\mathbf{p}(t)=\mathrm{Re}[\alpha (\omega ){\mathbf{E}}_0{e}^{-i\omega t}]$. Well below its binding resonances, the electric polarizability is approximately its static value $\alpha (0)$, independent of frequency. The mean radiated power and incident light intensity areDividing gives the total scattering cross sectionThis Rayleigh scattering wavelength dependence comes from the two time derivatives of an oscillating electric dipole moment, whose radiated field is proportional to ${\omega }^2{p}_0$. It requires the same scatterer with approximately constant low-frequency electric polarizability; resonances and strong optical dispersion invalidate the simple fourth-power law.