English

Directions In Optical Angular Momentum

Optics 2018-02-14 v1 Quantum Physics

Abstract

For paraxial and non-paraxial light, numerous measures of electromagnetic attribute are expressible in terms of photon annihilation and creation. Accordingly, energy, angular momentum and chirality measures acquire a consistent interpretation. From the photonic nature of light, it emerges that an infinite hierarchy of spin-type measures depend on a difference in number operators for modes of opposing helicity, pure circular polarization giving maximal values. Measures of orbital angular momentum are determined by a sum of corresponding number operators. By analysis of electric and magnetic features in the reflection of circular polarizations, regions of prominent chiral interaction in the interference are identified.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1210.5138,
  title  = {Directions In Optical Angular Momentum},
  author = {Matt M. Coles and David L. Andrews},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1210.5138},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

4 pages, 1 figure

R2 v1 2026-06-21T22:24:10.137Z