Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space

Masud Mansuripur

doi:10.1117/12.2675775

Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX
Editors	Kishan Dholakia, Gabriel C. Spalding
Publisher	SPIE
ISBN (Electronic)	9781510665125
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2675775
State	Published - 2023
Event	Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX 2023 - San Diego, United States Duration: Aug 20 2023 → Aug 24 2023

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	12649
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)	1996-756X

Conference

Conference	Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX 2023
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Diego
Period	8/20/23 → 8/24/23

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1117/12.2675775

Cite this

Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space. / Mansuripur, Masud.
Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX. ed. / Kishan Dholakia; Gabriel C. Spalding. SPIE, 2023. 126490A (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 12649).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Mansuripur, M 2023, Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space. in K Dholakia & GC Spalding (eds), Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX., 126490A, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 12649, SPIE, Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX 2023, San Diego, United States, 8/20/23. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2675775

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Electromagnetic angular momentum of quantized wavepackets in free space

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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