Local-photon model of the momentum of light

Waite, Gabriel; Hodgson, Daniel; Lang, Ben; Alapatt, Varghese; Beige, Almut

doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.111.023703

Local-photon model of the momentum of light

Oct 4, 2024

15 pages

Published in:

Phys.Rev.A 111 (2025) 2, 023703

Published: Feb 5, 2025

e-Print:

2410.03633 [quant-ph]

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevA.111.023703 (publication)

View in:

ADS Abstract Service

pdf

reference search2 citations

Citations per year

Abstract: (APS)

Recently we introduced a local photon approach for modeling the quantized electromagnetic field in position space. Using this approach, we define the momentum of light in this paper as in quantum mechanics as the generator for spatial translation. Afterward, we analyze the momentum dynamics of photonic wave packets which transition from air into a denser dielectric medium. Our analysis shines new light onto the Abraham-Minkowski controversy, which highlights the intricacies involved in the characterization of the momentum of the electromagnetic field. Although our results align with Minkowski's theory and with the definition of the canonical momentum of light in quantum electrodynamics, there are also some crucial differences.

Note:

15 pages, 2 figures, new title, accepted version

References(68)

Figures(2)

[1]

The basic equations for the electromagnetic processes in moving bodies, ,

H. Minkowski

- Math.Ann. 68 (1910) 472
•
DOI:
- 10.1007/BF01455871

[2]

On the electrodynamics of moving bodies

M. Abraham

- Rend.Circ.Mat.Palermo 28 (1909) 1
•
DOI:
- 10.1007/BF03018208

[3]

On Minkowski's electrodynamics

M. Abraham

- Rend.Circ.Mat.Palermo 30 (1910) 33
•
DOI:
- 10.1007/BF03014862

[4]

Resolution of the Abraham–Minkowski controversy

M. Mansuripur

- Opt.Commun. 283 (2010) 1997
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/j.optcom.2010.01.010

[5]

Electromagnetic momentum and radiation pressure derived from the Fresnel relations

M.E. Crenshaw

- Opt.Express 15 (2007) 714
•
DOI:
- 10.1364/OE.15.000714

[6]

The role of conservation principles in the Abraham–Minkowski controversy

M.E. Crenshaw

e-Print:
- 1604.01801

[7]

EXPERIMENTS IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL ELECTRODYNAMICS AND THE ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY MOMENTUM TENSOR

Iver H. Brevik
(
- Norwegian U. Sci. Tech.
)

- Phys.Rept. 52 (1979) 133-201
•
DOI:
- 10.1016/0370-1573(79)90074-7

[8]

Optics: Momentum in an uncertain light

U. Leonhardt

- Nature 444 (2006) 823
•
DOI:
- 10.1038/444823a

[9]

Colloquium: Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media

Robert N.C. Pfeifer
(
- Queensland U.
)
,
Timo A. Nieminen
(
- Queensland U.
)
,
Norman R. Heckenberg
(
- Queensland U.
)
,
Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop
(
- Queensland U.
)

- Rev.Mod.Phys. 79 (2007) 1197-1216,
- Rev.Mod.Phys. 81 (2009) 443 (erratum)
•
e-Print:
- 0710.0461
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/RevModPhys.79.1197

[10]

The enigma of optical momentum in a medium

S. Barnett
,
R. Loudon

- Phil.Trans.Roy.Soc.Lond.A 368 (2010) 927
•
DOI:
- 10.1098/rsta.2009.0207

[11]

Resource Letter EM-1: Electromagnetic momentum

D. Griffiths

- Am.J.Phys. 80 (2012) 7
•
DOI:
- 10.1119/1.3641979

[12]

A heuristic resolution of the Abraham–Minkowski controversy

G. Feng
,
J. Huang

- Eur.Phys.J.Plus 136 (2021) 520
•
DOI:
- 10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01523-8

[13]

Photon mass drag and the momentum of light in a medium

- Phys.Rev.A 95 (2017) 6, 063850
•
e-Print:
- 1603.07224
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.95.063850

[14]

Time-varying media, relativity, and the arrow of time

- Optica 10 (2023) 10, 1398-1406
•
e-Print:
- 2304.08108
•
DOI:
- 10.1364/OPTICA.494630

[15]

Four Poynting theorems

P. Kinsler
,
A. Favaro
,
M.W. McCall

- Eur.J.Phys. 30 (2009) 983
•
DOI:
- 10.1088/0143-0807/30/5/007

[16]

On diffraction within a dielectric medium as an example of the Minkowski formulation of optical momentum

M.J. Padgett

- Opt.Express 16 (2008) 20864
•
DOI:
- 10.1364/OE.16.020864

[17]

The energy-momentum tensor of the electromagnetic field inside matter

N.L. Balazs

- Phys.Rev. 91 (1953) 408
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRev.91.408

[18]

Radiation pressure and the photon momentum in dielectrics

C. Baxter
,
R. Loudon

- J.Mod.Opt. 57 (2010) 830
•
DOI:
- 10.1080/09500340.2010.487948

[19]

Radiation forces and momenta in dielectric media

J.P. Gordon

- Phys.Rev.A 8 (1973) 14
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.8.14

[20]

Radiation pressure of light in a dispersive medium

R.V. Jones

- Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 360 (1978) 365
•
DOI:
- 10.1098/rspa.1978.0073

[21]

Momentum of light in a dielectric medium

P.W. Milonni
,
R.W. Boyd

- Adv.Opt.Photon. 2 (2010) 519
•
DOI:
- 10.1364/AOP.2.000519

[22]

Momentum Exchange between Light and a Single Atom: Abraham or Minkowski?

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 102 (2009) 050403
•
e-Print:
- 0811.2771
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.050403

[23]

Resolution of the Abraham-Minkowski Dilemma

Stephen M. Barnett
(
- Strathclyde U.
)

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 104 (2010) 070401
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.070401

[24]

Self-consistent theory for a plane wave in a moving medium and light-momentum criterion

C. Wang

- Can.J.Phys. 93 (2015) 1510
•
DOI:
- 10.1139/cjp-2015-0167

[25]

Measurement of the Abraham force in a barium titanate specimen

G.B. Walker
,
D.G. Lahoz
,
G. Walker

- Can.J.Phys. 53 (1975) 2577
•
DOI:
- 10.1139/p75-313

1-25 of 68
1
2
3
25 / page