Division of the energy and of the momentum of electromagnetic waves in linear media into electromagnetic and material parts

We defend a natural division of the energy density, energy flux and momentum density of electromagnetic waves in linear media in electromagnetic and material parts. In this division, the electromagnetic part of these quantities have the same form as in vacuum when written in terms of the macroscopic electric and magnetic fields, the material momentum is calculated directly from the Lorentz force that acts on the charges of the medium, the material energy is the sum of the kinetic and potential energies of the charges of the medium and the material energy flux results from the interaction of the electric field with the magnetized medium. We present reasonable models for linear dispersive non-absorptive dielectric and magnetic media that agree with this division. We also argue that the electromagnetic momentum of our division can be associated with the electromagnetic relativistic momentum, inspired on the recent work of Barnett [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 (2010) 070401] that showed that the Abraham momentum is associated with the kinetic momentum and the Minkowski momentum is associated with the canonical momentum.     

Electromagnetic momentum conservation in media

That static electric and magnetic fields can store momentum may be perplexing, but is necessary to ensure total conservation of momentum. Simple situations in which such field momentum is transferred to nearby bodies and point charges have often been considered for pedagogical purposes, normally assuming vacuum surroundings. If dielectric media are involved, however, the analysis becomes more delicate, not least since one encounters the electromagnetic energy–momentum problem in matter, the ‘Abraham–Minkowski enigma’, of what the momentum is of a photon in matter. We analyze the momentum balance in three nontrivial examples obeying azimuthal symmetry, showing how the momentum conservation is satisfied as the magnetic field decays and momentum is transferred to bodies present. In the last of the examples, that of point charge outside a dielectric sphere in an infinite magnetic field, we find that not all of the field momentum is transferred to the nearby bodies; a part of the momentum appears to vanish as momentum flux towards infinity. We discuss this and other surprising observations which can be attributed to the assumption of magnetic fields of infinite extent. We emphasize how formal arguments of conserved quantities cannot determine which energy–momentum tensor is more “correct”, and each of our conservation checks may be performed equally well in the Minkowski or Abraham framework.     

Energy–momentum tensor for the electromagnetic field in a dielectric

The total momentum of a thermodynamically closed system is unique, as is the total energy. Nevertheless, there is continuing confusion concerning the correct form of the momentum and the energy–momentum tensor for an electromagnetic field interacting with a linear dielectric medium. Rather than construct a total momentum from the Abraham momentum or the Minkowski momentum, we define a thermodynamically closed system consisting of a propagating electromagnetic field and a negligibly reflecting dielectric and we identify the Gordon momentum as the conserved total momentum by the fact that it is invariant in time. In the formalism of classical continuum electrodynamics, the Gordon momentum is therefore the unique representation of the total momentum in terms of the macroscopic electromagnetic fields and the macroscopic refractive index that characterizes the material. We also construct continuity equations for the energy and the Gordon momentum, noting that a time variable transformation is necessary to write the continuity equations in terms of the densities of conserved quantities. Finally, we use the continuity equations and the time–coordinate transformation to construct an array that has the properties of a traceless, symmetric energy–momentum tensor.     

The momentum of an electromagnetic wave inside a dielectric derived from the Snell refraction law

Author of the paper [M. Testa, Ann. Physics 336 (2013) 1] has derived a conclusion that there is a connection between the Snell refraction law and the Abraham form of the momentum of light in matter. In other words, author derived the Snell law on assumption that the momentum of light in matter decreases by n$n$ times as compared with that in free space. The conclusion is derived under assumption that the forces exerted on an optical medium by an electromagnetic field do not distinguish between polarization and free charges. We show that, on the contrary, the Minkowski form of the momentum of light in matter directly follows from the Snell law. No previous assumption is required for this purpose.     

柱矢量光束的角动量性质

介绍了非近轴光束的表示理论,利用该表示理论很好地解决了非近轴光束的角动量问题,发现非近轴光束的总角动量可以严格地分解成自旋和轨道两部分,但是两者都依赖于由偏振椭圆度表征的光束的偏振状态。主要研究了柱矢量光束的角动量问题。给出了动量空间和位形空间中的柱矢量光束表达式和角动量算符表达式。通过分析两个空间中的角动量算符及柱矢量光束表达式,发现在这两种空间中,具有螺旋型相位的柱矢量光束是角动量算符沿着传播方向的分量的本征态,其本征值与偏振椭圆度无关,这为计算这类特殊光束的角动量提供了一种新方法。     

Electromagnetic energy, momentum, and angular momentum in an inhomogeneous linear dielectric

In a previous work, Optics Communications 284 (2011) 2460-2465, we considered a dielectric medium with an anti-reflection coating and a spatially uniform index of refraction illuminated at normal incidence by a quasimonochromatic field. Using the continuity equations for the electromagnetic energy density and the Gordon momentum density, we constructed a traceless, symmetric energy-momentum tensor for the closed system. In this work, we relax the condition of a uniform index of refraction and consider a dielectric medium with a spatially varying index of refraction that is independent of time, which essentially represents a mechanically rigid dielectric medium due to external constraints. Using continuity equations for energy density and for Gordon momentum density, we construct a symmetric energy-momentum matrix, whose four-divergence is equal to a generalized Helmholtz force density four-vector. Assuming that the energy-momentum matrix has tensor transformation properties under a symmetry group of space-time coordinate transformations, we derive the global conservation laws for the total energy, momentum, and angular momentum.     

Probing Dual Asymmetric Transverse Spin Angular Momentum in Tightly Focused Vector Beams in Optical Tweezers

The spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of light generated by tight focusing in optical tweezers is regularly employed in generating angular momentum - both spin and orbital - the effects being extensively observed in trapped mesoscopic particles. Specifically, the transverse spin angular momentum (TSAM), which arises due to the longitudinal component of the electromagnetic field generated by tight focusing is of special interest, both in terms of fundamental studies and associated applications. This study provides an effective and optimal strategy for generating TSAM in optical tweezers by tightly focusing first-order radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams with no intrinsic angular momentum (AM) into a refractive index stratified medium. The choice of such input fields ensures that the longitudinal spin angular momentum (LSAM) arising from the electric (magnetic) field for the radial (azimuthal) polarization is zero. As a result, the effects of the electric and magnetic TSAM are exclusively observed separately in the case of input first-order radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams on single optically trapped birefringent particles. This research opens up new and simple avenues for exotic and complex particle manipulation in optical tweezers.     

各向异性磁电介质量子真空水平上的动量转移

通过计算各向异性磁电材料内电磁场模式的本征方程研究了任意方向量子真空模式对磁电材料动量转移总贡献，并指出介质由真空动量转移所获得速度可以由目前发展起来的光纤光学传感器(能测量纳米量级速度)所探测.对该量子真空宏观力学效应的物理机理与潜在应用也做了讨论.     

Propagation properties of electromagnetic fields in elliptic dielectric hollow fibres and their applications

We numerically calculate and analyse the electromagnetic fields, optical intensity distributions, polarization states and orbital angular momentum of some elliptic hollow modes in an elliptic dielectric hollow fiber (EDHF) by using Mathieu functions, and also calculate the optical potential of the blue-detuned _eHE₁₁ mode evanescent-light wave for ⁸⁵Rb atoms, including the position-dependent van der Waals potential, and discuss briefly some potential applications of our EDHF in atom and molecule optics, etc. Our study shows that the vector electric field distributions of the odd modes in the cross section of the EDHF are the same as that of the even modes and with different boundary ellipses by rotating an angle of π/2, and the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of single HE (EH) mode is exactly equal to zero, while that of dual-mode in the EDHF is fractional in h, and has a sinusoidal oscillation as z varies. The EDHF can be used to produce various elliptic hollow beams, even to generate and study various atomic vortices with a fractional charge and its fractional quantum Hall effect in atomic Bose--Einstein condensate, and so on.     

电磁能量-动量转化和守恒定律四维形式的一种推导

定义了电磁场的四维动量流密度张量,并将电磁能量转化和守恒定律及动量转化和守恒定律写成了四维协变形式,给出了三维电磁能量密度、能流密度、动量密度和动量流密度关于两个惯性系之间的变换关系,还给出了四维动量流密度张量与四维电磁场张量之间的依赖关系。     

局域椭圆偏振光束强聚焦性质的研究

数值计算了局域椭圆偏振光束强聚焦时在焦平面上的横向场强分布、纵向场强分布、横向能流以及纵向角动量分布.结果显示在焦平面上光束总的纵向角动量为零,但在不同象限光束具有不同方向的纵向角动量.当相位延迟角度在0到π之间变化时横向场强分布基本不变,但纵向场强分布有很明显的变化.液晶相位延迟器由外部电压控制,使其相位延迟角度能在0到π之间可以连续取值.因而液晶相位延迟器的外接电压可以实现对焦平面上的纵向场强以及纵向角动量的实时调控.     

Constitutive relations and the electromagnetic spectrum in a fluctuating medium

A two-parameter susceptibility function χ(t;τ) is introduced, to characterize the local macroscopic properties of a linear isotropic dielectric, whose behavior may change in time. χ(t;τ) generally is a stochastic variable with respect to its first argument. An expression is derived for the spectral density of the induced polarization in terms of the spectral densities of the fluctuations of χ and of the electric field. In general, this relationship is not a simple convolution. In the special case when the incident electric field is monochromatic, the induced polarization has the usual Brilouin-type spectrum.     

Field and energy relations in continuum electrodynamics

The bare, or fundamental, electric and magnetic fields in a linear medium are identified. Through the energy relations for the bare fields, the electric permittivity is shown to combine the effects of the enhanced energy density and the polarization reaction field. The macroscopic Maxwell equations are modified to be consistent with the constitutive relations for the bare fields.     

电子在均匀磁场中的状态--对自旋的讨论之二

求得了在均匀磁场中的电子沿着磁场方向的动量、角动量分量和能量的共同本征态。计算了电子产生的磁矩,由此继续论证所谓的总磁矩和总角动量其实质是相对论性的轨道磁矩和轨道角动量的看法。     

The effect of inertia on the Dirac electron,the spin Hall current and the momentum space Berry curvature

We have studied the spin dependent force and the associated momentum space Berry curvature in an accelerating system. The results are derived by taking into consideration the non-relativistic limit of a generally covariant Dirac equation with an electromagnetic field present, where the methodology of the Foldy–Wouthuysen transformation is applied to achieve the non-relativistic limit. Spin currents appear due to the combined action of the external electric field, the crystal field and the induced inertial electric field via the total effective spin–orbit interaction. In an accelerating frame, the crucial role of momentum space Berry curvature in the spin dynamics has also been addressed from the perspective of spin Hall conductivity. For time dependent acceleration, the expression for the spin polarization has been derived.     

电磁场统一性质的三维描述

论述了电场与磁场本质上的统一性质,构造了三维空间中电磁场的统一场量,给出它的方程、场量的模方与能量和动量的关系,发现三维空间中的统一场量自身的标积竟然是相对论变换下的不变量．     

Rotational Doppler Effect: A Review

Generally, the linear motion between the source of a wave and an observer leads to a linear Doppler effect. It is associated with the linear momentum of the wave. For electromagnetic beams having a circular polarization or an azimuthal phase distribution, the rotation between the source and the observer results in a less well-known rotational Doppler effect. It is associated with the angular momentum of the wave. This is particularly the case for vortex beams. Here, the various physical insights that are given to explain the origin of the rotational Doppler effect is reviewed. The focus is on different cases where such an effect gives information on the rotational nature of the probed systems, and also on cases where the rotational Doppler effect is useless. Still debated issues and possible applications are then presented.     

Chirality Driven by Magnetic Dipole Response for Demultiplexing of Surface Waves

Surface electromagnetic waves are characterized by the intrinsic spin‐orbit interaction which results in the fascinating spin‐momentum locking. Therefore, directional coupling of light to surface waves can be achieved through chiral nanoantennas. Here, we show that dielectric nanoantenna provides chiral response with strong spectral dependence due to the interference of electric and magnetic dipole momenta when placed in the vicinity of the metal‐air interface. Remarkably, chiral behaviour in the proposed scheme does not require elliptical polarization of the pump beam or the geometric chirality of the nanoantenna. We show that the proposed ultracompact and simple dielectric nanoantenna allows for both directional launching of surface plasmon polaritons on a thin gold film and their demultiplexing with a high spectral resolution.     

Energy and angular momentum transfers from an electromagnetic wave to a copper ring in the UHF band

Electromagnetic waves could carry orbital angular momentum. Such momentum can be transferred to macroscopic objects and can make them rotate under a constant torque. Based on experimental observations, we investigate the origin of orbital angular momentum and energy transfer. Due to angular momentum and energy conservation, we show that angular momentum transfer is due to the change in the sign of angular momentum upon reflection. This leads to a rotational Doppler shift of the electromagnetic wave frequency, ensuring energy conservation.     

Coherent radiation under conditions of the propagation of heavy charged particles through the dielectric in an external electric field

The process of electromagnetic radiation arising during the propagation of heavy charged particles through a dielectric layer situated in an external electric field is investigated. This radiation is due to the degradation of polarization medium induced by the field. The local maximum within the centimeter frequency range of the energy spectrum is analyzed under varying external parameters of the model. Conditions that might allow for the intensity of the radiation to be comparable to the transition radiation are found.