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Momentum of Light in a Dielectric Medium |
Advances in Optics and Photonics, Vol. 2, Issue 4, pp. 519-553 (2010)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/AOP.2.000519
Acrobat PDF (576 KB)
Abstract
We review different expressions that have been proposed for the stress tensor and for the linear momentum of light in dielectric media, focusing on the Abraham and Minkowski forms. Analyses of simple models and consideration of available experimental results support the interpretation of the Abraham momentum as the kinetic momentum of the field, while the Minkowski momentum is the recoil momentum of absorbing or emitting guest atoms in a host dielectric. Momentum conservation requires consideration not only of the momentum of the field and of recoiling guest atoms, but also of the momentum the field imparts to the medium. Different model assumptions with respect to electrostriction and the dipole force lead to different expressions for this momentum. We summarize recent work on the definition of the canonical momentum for the field in a dielectric medium.
© 2010 Optical Society of America
OCIS Codes
(020.7010) Atomic and molecular physics : Laser trapping
(260.2110) Physical optics : Electromagnetic optics
(270.0270) Quantum optics : Quantum optics
(270.5580) Quantum optics : Quantum electrodynamics
(350.4855) Other areas of optics : Optical tweezers or optical manipulation
(020.3320) Atomic and molecular physics : Laser cooling
ToC Category:
Physical Optics
History
Original Manuscript: May 26, 2010
Revised Manuscript: July 8, 2010
Manuscript Accepted: July 27, 2010
Published: September 10, 2010
Virtual Issues
(2010) Advances in Optics and Photonics
Citation
Peter W. Milonni and Robert W. Boyd, "Momentum of Light in a Dielectric Medium," Adv. Opt. Photon. 2, 519-553 (2010)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/aop/abstract.cfm?URI=aop-2-4-519
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