Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

A single electromagnetic plane-wave propagating in free space possesses neither spin nor orbital angular momentum. Both types of angular momentum arise from interference between pairs of plane-waves having the same temporal frequency ω but differing k-vectors k1 and k2. While it is fairly straightforward to evaluate a wavepacket’s spin and orbital angular momenta in the (k, ω) continuum by means of Fourier transformation, obtaining the same results by discretizing the (k, ω) space, then attempting to approach the continuum limit via an infinite enlargement of the spatial volume under consideration, is fraught with danger.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationOptical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX
EditorsKishan Dholakia, Gabriel C. Spalding
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781510665125
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023
EventOptical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX 2023 - San Diego, United States
Duration: Aug 20 2023Aug 24 2023

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume12649

Conference

ConferenceOptical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX 2023
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego
Period8/20/238/24/23

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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