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Note on the helicity decomposition of spin and orbital optical currents

Authors :
Aiello, Andrea
Berry, M. V.
Source :
J. Opt. Vol. 17 (2015) 062001
Publication Year :
2015

Abstract

In the helicity representation, the Poynting vector (current) for a monochromatic optical field, when calculated using either the electric or the magnetic field, separates into right-handed and left-handed contributions, with no cross-helicity contributions. Cross-helicity terms do appear in the orbital and spin contributions to the current. But when the electric and magnetic formulas are averaged ('electric-magnetic democracy'), these terms cancel, restoring the separation into right-handed and left-handed currents for orbital and spin separately.<br />Comment: 10 pages, no figures

Subjects

Subjects :
Physics - Optics
Quantum Physics

Details

Database :
arXiv
Journal :
J. Opt. Vol. 17 (2015) 062001
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.1505.04992
Document Type :
Working Paper
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1088/2040-8978/17/6/062001