Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space

Masud Mansuripur

doi:10.1117/12.2675775

5 October 2023 Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space

Masud Mansuripur

Proceedings Volume 12649, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX; 126490A (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2675775
Event: SPIE Nanoscience + Engineering, 2023, San Diego, California, United States

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.

Conference Presentation

(2023) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Masud Mansuripur "Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space", Proc. SPIE 12649, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX, 126490A (5 October 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2675775

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