2016/05/30 by Ulrich C. Fischer, Fischer, Ulrich C.
Physics and Astronomy · #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #FOS: Physical sciences #General Physics (physics.gen-ph) #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Relativity and Gravitational Theory
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1606.02251
openalex publication_date 2016/05/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We recently performed experiments on the transfer of photon spin to electron orbital angular momentum. For an interpretation of the experimental results we used a classical electrodynamic model of the photon as a propagating electromagnetic solitary wave which is developed in detail here. A linearly polarized monochromatic photon is considered as a propagating solitary electromagnetic wave of finite energy hf which carries an angular momentum h/2pi with the frequency f and Plancks constant h. This model has, apart from being a tool for an interpretation of our experimental results, far reaching consequences of fundamental relevance and guides us to an outline to a unified quantum theory of electromagnetism and gravitation including an explanation of the electrodynamic origin of the quantized charge of an electron.