2015/02/18 by Stephen M. Barnett, R. Loudon, Rodney Loudon +2
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Optics (physics.optics) #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum Physics (quant-ph) #physics.optics #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1502.05170
arxiv created 2015/02/18 · openalex publication_date 2015/02/18 · arxiv updated 2015/02/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present a classical linear response theory for a magneto-dielectric material and determine the polariton dispersion relations. The electromagnetic field fluctuation spectra are obtained and polariton sum rules for their optical parameters are presented. The electromagnetic field for systems with multiple polariton branches is quantised in 3 dimensions and field operators are converted to 1-dimensional forms appropriate for parallel light beams. We show that the field-operator commutation relations agree with previous calculations that ignored polariton effects. The Abraham (kinetic) and Minkowski (canonical) momentum operators are introduced and their corresponding single-photon momenta are identified. The commutation relations of these and of their angular analogues support the identification, in particular, of the Minkowski momentum with the canonical momentum of the light. We exploit the Heaviside-Larmor symmetry of Maxwell's equations to obtain, very directly, the Einsetin-Laub force density for action on a magneto-dielectric. The surface and bulk contributions to the radiation pressure are calculated for the passage of an optical pulse into a semi-infinite sample.