Let's start with the basic definition of the Poynting vector :

! ! ! ! ! !
P( R, t)  =   E( R, t)  ×  H ( R, t)

!
where R is some point in 3 - D space. For notational simplicity,
!
we'll omit R from all subsequent equations.

Then, employing phasor notation for the sinusoidal steady state,

we have :

! !" j ω t !" jω t
P(t)  =  Re E e ( )
  ×  Re H e ( )
! !
( )
              =  Re $ Ereal + j Eimag ( cos ω t +  j sin ω t ) %&    ×  
#
! !
( )
                                     Re $ Hreal + j Himag ( cos ω t +  j sin ω t ) %&
#
Upon extracting the real parts, we see that

! ! !
( )
P(t)  =  Re # Ereal + j Eimag ( cos ω t +  j sin ω t ) $%    ×  
"
! !
( " H
                                     Re # real + j H )
imag ( cos ω t +  j sin ω t ) %
$

can be written as

! ! ! ! !
( ) (
P(t)  =   Ereal cos ω t  −  Eimag sin ω t   ×   Hreal cos ω t − Himag sin ω t )

! ! 2
! !
              =   Ereal × Hreal cos ω t   −   Ereal × Himag cos ω t sin ω t   +
! ! 2
! !
                   Eimag × Himag sin ω t   −   Eimag × Hreal sin ω t cos ω t
Applying the double - angle trig identities for cos 2ω t , sin 2ω t ,
and sin ω t cos ω t , we see that

! ! ! ! !
P(t)  =   Ereal × Hreal cos 2ω t   −   Ereal × Himag cos ω t sin ω t   +
! ! 2
! !
                   Eimag × Himag sin ω t   −   Eimag × Hreal sin ω t cos ω t

can be written as

! ! ! $ 1 + cos 2ω t ' ! ! $ sin 2ω t '

P(t)   =   Ereal × Hreal & )(   −   E real × H imag & )(   +
% 2 % 2
! ! $ 1 − cos 2ω t ' ! ! $ sin 2ω t '
                   Eimag × Himag & )(   −   Eimag × Hreal &% )
% 2 2 (
Upon time - averaging over a single period T = 2π / ω at the fundamental
frequency, the cos 2ω t and sin 2ω t terms of

! ! ! $ 1 + cos 2ω t ' ! ! $ sin 2ω t '

     P(t)   =   Ereal × Hreal & )(   −   E real × H imag & )(   +
% 2 % 2
! ! $ 1 − cos 2ω t ' ! ! $ sin 2ω t '
                       Eimag × Himag & )(   −   Eimag × Hreal &% )
% 2 2 (

average to zero, yielding :

! 1 ! ! ! !
                Ptime
average 2
+ ( )
  =   , ( Ereal × Hreal )  +   Eimag × Himag -.
Now, for a little trick that pays off in simplifying and explaining our result.

Let's add two specially constructed imaginary terms to the right - hand
!
side of Ptime , but take the real part (so that these new terms do not
average

alter the final value : added pure

imaginary terms

! ! ! ! ! !
! 1 # ( ) (
( Ereal × Hreal )    − j Ereal × Himag      +   Eimag × Himag ) &(
  Ptime  =   Re % ! !
average 2
$ (
%                           + j Eimag × Hreal ) (
'

1 ! ! ! !
( ) ( )
              =        Re #$ Ereal + j Eimag    ×   Hreal − j Himag &'
2

1 !" !"
( )
             =         Re E × H *              where * denotes the complex conjugate.
2
 ! 1 !" !"
                    Ptime
average 2
( )
 =   Re E × H *      watts / m2

This is the final result for the time - averaged power flow in a
sinusoidally varying electromagnetic field. If rms quantities
are used for the phasors, the equivalent expression is :

! ! !
                   Ptime  =  Re E" rms  × H" rms
( )
*      watts / m2
average

Compare this with

Compare this with the
yourEECS
circuits class
221 resultresult fortime
for the the time-averaged
- averaged
power dissipated
power dissipated by
by aa circuit
circuit impedance
impedancein inthe
thesinusoidal
sinusoidal steady
steady
state state (which
(which can be can be derived
derived in an analogous
in an analogous manner) :
manner):

1
        Ptime
average
 =  
2
( )
" i" * )   =   Re v" rms  i" rms
Re ( v  *      watts
 !
Consider Ptime for a sinusoidal plane wave propagating in a lossy material.
average
!
Here, the propagation vector is γ = ( α + j β ) γˆ   ,  and the fields are given in
!" − γ! ⋅ R! !" − γ! ⋅ R! !" !"
phasor form by E0 e    and    H 0 e  , where ˆ
H 0 =   γ × E0 η  .( )
! 1 !" − γ! ⋅ R! !" − γ! ⋅ R!
               Ptime
average 2
(
 =   Re ) E0 e   ×   H0 e ( * * 
+ )
!"
( ! ! , γˆ E !/**
1 " −( α + j β ) γˆ ⋅ R × 0 −( α + j β ) γˆ ⋅ R
                          =   Re 2 E0 e   ×  . e 1 3
2 2) - η 0 3+

( !"
1 !
"
!
−( α + j β ) γˆ ⋅ R
, γ × E0* −( α − j β ) γˆ ⋅ R! / *
ˆ
                          =   Re 2 E0 e   ×  . e 13
2 2) - η* 0 3+
!" 2 −2α γˆ ⋅ R!
γˆ E0 e
                          =    cos ∠ η
2η