2003/09/26 by Iwo Bialynicki-Birula, Iwo Białynicki‐Birula · 1 citation
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Electromagnetic field #Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies #Geometry #Mathematical physics #Mathematics #Maxwell's equations #Mechanics #Null (SQL) #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Physics #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Quantum mechanics #Scalar (mathematics) #Scalar field #Vortex #physics.class-ph #physics.gen-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1464-4258/6/5/007
published as J. of Optics A: Pure Appl. Opt. 6, S181 (2004) · NATO Workshop on Singular Optics 2003 To appear in Journal of Optics A
arxiv created 2003/09/26 · openalex publication_date 2004/04/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
New method of introducing vortex lines of the electromagnetic field is outlined. The vortex lines arise when a complex Riemann-Silberstein vector ( bm E + i bm B)/\√(2) is multiplied by a complex scalar function \φ. Such a multiplication may lead to new solutions of the Maxwell equations only when the electromagnetic field is null, i.e. when both relativistic invariants vanish. In general, zeroes of the \φ function give rise to electromagnetic vortices. The description of these vortices benefits from the ideas of Penrose, Robinson and Trautman developed in general relativity.