2013Unpublished venueRequires access

Angular Momentum of Light with Plane Phase Front

Р. И. Храпко

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Abstract

We consider two different types of angular momentum of electromagnetic radiation. 1) Moment of linear momentum, which we consider as orbital angular momentum. 2) Spin, which is not a moment of momentum; its origin is a circular polarization. We show that a circularly polarized light beam with plane phase front carries angular momentum of both types, spin and orbital angular momentum, contrary to the standard electrodynamics. Because of the conservation laws of momentum and total angular momentum, spin and moment of momentum have concrete values. These two types of angular momentum are spatially separated. Flux of spin and flux of moment of momentum act on an absorber independently. An experiment is described, which can verify this supposition. Key words: Classical spin; optical torque; optical experiment

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What this paper is about

We consider two different types of angular momentum of electromagnetic radiation. 1) Moment of linear momentum, which we consider as orbital angular momentum. 2) Spin, which is not a moment of momentum; its origin is a circular polarization. We show that a circularly polarized light beam with plane phase front carries angular momentum of both types, spin and orbital angular momentum, contrary to the standard electrodynamics. Because of the conservation laws of momentum and total angular momentum, spin and moment of momentum have concrete values. These two types of angular momentum are spatially separated. Flux of spin and flux of moment of momentum act on an absorber independently. An experiment is described, which can verify this supposition. Key words: Classical spin; optical torque; optical experiment

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Available abstract

We consider two different types of angular momentum of electromagnetic radiation. 1) Moment of linear momentum, which we consider as orbital angular momentum. 2) Spin, which is not a moment of momentum; its origin is a circular polarization. We show that a circularly polarized light beam with plane phase front carries angular momentum of both types, spin and orbital angular momentum, contrary to the standard electrodynamics. Because of the conservation laws of momentum and total angular momentum, spin and moment of momentum have concrete values. These two types of angular momentum are spatially separated. Flux of spin and flux of moment of momentum act on an absorber independently. An experiment is described, which can verify this supposition. Key words: Classical spin; optical torque; optical experiment

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

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