English

Angular momentum and the geometrical gauge of localized photon staes

Quantum Physics 2010-07-22 v1

Abstract

Localized photon states have non-zero angular momentum that varies with the non-unique choice of a transverse basis and is changed by gauge transformations of the geometric vector potential a\mathbf{a}. The position operator must depend on the choice of gauge, but a complete gauge transformation of a physically distinct state has no observable effects. The potential a\mathbf{a} has a Dirac string singularity that is related to an optical vortex of the electric field.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.quant-ph/0408017,
  title  = {Angular momentum and the geometrical gauge of localized photon staes},
  author = {Margaret Hawton and William E. Baylis},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0408017},
  year   = {2010}
}