Conservation of angular momentum for light propagating in a transparent anisotropic medium
Abstract
When light propagates through a transparent medium, both the orbital and spin angular momenta of the light may change. It is shown by explicit calculation that the change in the angular momentum of the light is exactly equal and opposite to the change in the internal angular momentum of the atoms in the transparent medium. The centre-of-mass motion of the atoms does not play any significant role in this interchange of angular momentum.
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The off-diagonal geometric-phase elements of Eq. (5) offer helicity-dependent manipulation of light using the orientation of the anisotropy axis; anisotropic subwavelength gratings with space-variant orientation have been employed for geometric-phase-induced shaping of light.
“The off-diagonal geometric-phase elements of Eq. (5) offer helicity-dependent manipulation of light using the orientation of the anisotropy axis. In particular, anisotropic subwavelength gratings with space-variant orientation α = α x , y ( ) have been employed for the geometric-phase-induced shaping of light 5,6,37- 39,41,114- 117 .”
From Spin–orbit interactions of light (2015) · cites this paper as [115]
Cites
Mechanical Detection and Measurement of the Angular Momentum of Light
Beth, R. A. (1936) · Physical Review · doi:10.1103/physrev.50.115 · Cited by 1,354 · see citing works
The Theory of Photons and Electrons
Jauch, J. M., Rohrlich, F., & Polkinghorne, J. C. (1956) · Physics Today · doi:10.1063/1.3060065 · Cited by 954 · see citing works
Effective Operator Formalism in Optical Pumping
Happer, W., & Mathur, B. S. (1967) · Physical Review · doi:10.1103/physrev.163.12 · Cited by 249 · see citing works
Self-citationOff-Resonant Light as a Probe of Optically Pumped Alkali Vapors
Happer, W., & Mathur, B. S. (1967) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.18.577 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
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Spin–orbit interactions of light
Bliokh, K. Y., Rodríguez-Fortuño, F. J., Nori, F., & Zayats, A. V. (2015) · Nature Photonics · doi:10.1038/nphoton.2015.201 · Cited by 2,276 · see citing works
Spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in focusing, scattering, and imaging systems
Bliokh, K. Y., Ostrovskaya, E. A., Alonso, M. A., Rodríguez-Herrera, O. G., Lara, D., & Dainty, C. (2011) · Optics Express · doi:10.1364/oe.19.026132 · Cited by 294 · see citing works
Conservation of angular momentum of light in single scattering
Dogariu, A., & Schwartz, C. (2006) · Optics Express · doi:10.1364/oe.14.008425 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Spin-orbit interactions of light in isotropic media
Bliokh, K. Y., Aiello, A., & Alonso, M. A. (2012) · The Angular Momentum of Light · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511795213.009 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Spin-orbit interactions of light
Bliokh, K. Y., Rodriguez-Fortuno, F. J., Nori, F., & Zayats, A. V. (2015) · arXiv
- Authors
- Moe, G., & Happer, W.
- Affiliations
- Columbia University (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Physics B: Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Published
- 1977-05-11
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1191-1208
- ISSN
- 0022-3700 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2051880530
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Physics B Atomic and Molecular Physics (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum optics and atomic interactions
- Keywords
- angular momentum conservation, orbital angular momentum, spin angular momentum, light-matter interaction, atom-light interaction, center-of-mass motion
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