Electric field — UPSC Physics Optional IFoS 2011 Paper I

The electric field in a medium is given by \vec{E} = \vec{E}_0 e^{-\alpha z} \sin(kz - \omega t), where \vec{E}_0 is a constant vector with dimensions of the electric field. Prove that \vec{E} cannot have a component along the unit vector, \hat{z}, parallel to the z-axis. Here \alpha is a positive constant.