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1994•Europhysics Letters (EPL)Open access

Spin and Orbital Angular Momentum of Photons

S. J. van Enk, G. Nienhuis

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Abstract

We consider the separation of the total angular momentum of the electromagnetic field into a "spin" and an "orbital" part. Though this separation is normally considered to be unphysical and not observable, we argue that both members in the separation are separately measurable quantities. However, the commutation relations for the associated quantum operators reveal that neither of them is an angular-momentum operator.

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What this paper is about

We consider the separation of the total angular momentum of the electromagnetic field into a "spin" and an "orbital" part. Though this separation is normally considered to be unphysical and not observable, we argue that both members in the separation are separately measurable quantities. However, the commutation relations for the associated quantum operators reveal that neither of them is an angular-momentum operator.

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Available abstract

We consider the separation of the total angular momentum of the electromagnetic field into a "spin" and an "orbital" part. Though this separation is normally considered to be unphysical and not observable, we argue that both members in the separation are separately measurable quantities. However, the commutation relations for the associated quantum operators reveal that neither of them is an angular-momentum operator.

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

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