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Circularly polarized beam carries the double angular momentum

Radi I. Khrapko

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Abstract

It is shown that there are two different types of angular momentum of electromagnetic radiation: 1) Spin; an elliptic polarization causes the spin density in any point (without a moment arm). 2) Moment of linear momentum; it is an orbital angular momentum. A circularly polarized light beam with plane phase front and the radiation from a rotating dipole carry angular momenta of both types, contrary to the standard electrodynamics, and these two types of angular momentum are spatially separated. Thus the angular momentum splits into spin and orbital angular momenta unambiguously.

About this research paper

What this paper is about

It is shown that there are two different types of angular momentum of electromagnetic radiation: 1) Spin; an elliptic polarization causes the spin density in any point (without a moment arm). 2) Moment of linear momentum; it is an orbital angular momentum. A circularly polarized light beam with plane phase front and the radiation from a rotating dipole carry angular momenta of both types, contrary to the standard electrodynamics, and these two types of angular momentum are spatially separated. Thus the angular momentum splits into spin and orbital angular momenta unambiguously.

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Available abstract

It is shown that there are two different types of angular momentum of electromagnetic radiation: 1) Spin; an elliptic polarization causes the spin density in any point (without a moment arm). 2) Moment of linear momentum; it is an orbital angular momentum. A circularly polarized light beam with plane phase front and the radiation from a rotating dipole carry angular momenta of both types, contrary to the standard electrodynamics, and these two types of angular momentum are spatially separated. Thus the angular momentum splits into spin and orbital angular momenta unambiguously.

Key concepts: Physics, Angular momentum, Angular momentum of light, Angular momentum coupling, Orbital angular momentum of light, Total angular momentum quantum number, Orbital angular momentum multiplexing, Angular momentum operator

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