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arxiv: 1205.4929 · v2 · pith:3YH7SHAWnew · submitted 2012-05-22 · ⚛️ physics.optics · quant-ph

Optical angular momentum in dispersive media

classification ⚛️ physics.optics quant-ph
keywords momentumangulardispersivemediumopticalenergyhbarhomogeneous
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The angular momentum density and flux of light in a dispersive, rotationally symmetric medium are derived from Noether's theorem. Optical angular momentum in a dispersive medium has no simple relation to optical linear momentum, even if the medium is homogeneous. A circularly polarized monochromatic beam in a homogeneous, dispersive medium carries a spin angular momentum of $\pm\hbar$ per energy $\hbar\omega$, as in vacuum. This result demonstrates the non-trivial interplay of dispersive contributions to optical angular momentum and energy.

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