Optical angular momentum in dispersive media
Philbin, Thomas G.; Allanson, O.
Date: 14 November 2012
Article
Journal
Physical Review A
Publisher
American Physical Society
Publisher DOI
Abstract
The angular momentum density and flux of light in a dispersive, rotationally symmetric medium are derived from Noether's theorem. Optical angular momentum in a dispersive medium has no simple relation to optical linear momentum, even if the medium is homogeneous. A circularly polarized monochromatic beam in a homogeneous, dispersive ...
The angular momentum density and flux of light in a dispersive, rotationally symmetric medium are derived from Noether's theorem. Optical angular momentum in a dispersive medium has no simple relation to optical linear momentum, even if the medium is homogeneous. A circularly polarized monochromatic beam in a homogeneous, dispersive medium carries a spin angular momentum of ±ℏ per energy ℏω, as in vacuum. This result demonstrates the nontrivial interplay of dispersive contributions to optical angular momentum and energy.
Physics and Astronomy
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy
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