Radiation Pressure on Submerged Mirrors: Implications for the Momentum of Light in Dielectric Media

Abstract

Radiation pressure measurements on mirrors submerged in dielectric liquids have consistently shown an effective Minkowski momentum for the photons within the liquid. Using an exact theoretical calculation based on Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz law of force, we demonstrate that this result is a consequence of the fact that conventional mirrors impart, upon reflection, a 180 degree phase-shift to the incident beam of light. If the mirror is designed to impart a different phase, then the effective momentum will turn out to be anywhere between the two extremes of the Minkowski and Abraham momenta. Since all values in the range between these two extremes are equally likely to be found in experiments, we argue that the photon momentum inside a dielectric host has the arithmetic mean value of the Abraham and Minkowski momenta.

6 pages, 3 figures, 10 equations, 11 references

References in corpus (2)

• Radiation pressure and the linear momentum of the electromagnetic field
• Radiation pressure and the linear momentum of light in dispersive dielectric media

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Observation of a push force on the end face of a nm fiber taper exerted by outgoing light
• Resolution of the Abraham-Minkowski Controversy
• Maxwell's macroscopic equations, the energy-momentum postulates, and the Lorentz law of force
• Radiation pressure and the linear momentum of the electromagnetic field in magnetic media
• Whence the Minkowski Momentum?
• On the Foundational Equations of the Classical Theory of Electrodynamics
• Force, Torque, Linear Momentum, and Angular Momentum in Classical Electrodynamics
• Deducing radiation pressure on a submerged mirror from the Doppler shift
• Generalized Lorentz law and the force of radiation on magnetic dielectrics
• Radiation pressure on a submerged absorptive partial reflector deduced from the Doppler shift