One more time on the helicity decomposition of spin and orbital optical currents

Aiello A (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical Institute of Physics Publishing (IOP)

Book Volume: 55

Article Number: 244004

Journal Issue: 24

DOI: 10.1088/1751-8121/ac6d8f

Abstract

The helicity representation of the linear momentum density of a light wave is well understood for monochromatic optical fields in both paraxial and non-paraxial regimes of propagation. In this note we generalize such representation to nonmonochromatic optical fields. We find that, differently from the monochromatic case, the linear momentum density, aka the Poynting vector divided by c 2, does not separate into the sum of right-handed and left-handed terms, even when the so-called electric-magnetic democracy in enforced by averaging the electric and magnetic contributions. However, for quasimonochromatic light, such a separation is approximately restored after time-averaging. This paper is dedicated to Sir Michael Berry on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Authors with CRIS profile

Andrea Aiello

Additional Organisation(s)

Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 306/1: Quantenkooperativität von Licht und Materie - QuCoLiMa

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Aiello, A. (2022). One more time on the helicity decomposition of spin and orbital optical currents. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 55(24). https://doi.org/10.1088/1751-8121/ac6d8f

MLA:

Aiello, Andrea. "One more time on the helicity decomposition of spin and orbital optical currents." Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical 55.24 (2022).

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