Optical angular momentum in atomic transitions: a paradox
arXiv:2203.03742 · doi:10.1088/1751-8121/ac6bd1
Abstract
Stated simply the paradox is as follows: it is clear that the orbital angular momentum of a light beam in its direction of propagation is an intrinsic quantity, and therefore has the same value everywhere in the beam. How then can a Gaussian beam, with precisely zero orbital angular momentum, drive a (single-photon) quadrupole transition which requires the transfer of angular momentum 2 to an absorbing atom?
arXiv commentSubmitted to J.Phys.A. Special Issue "Claritons and the Asymptotics of Ideas: the Physics of Michael Berry"
References in corpus (7)
- Transverse and longitudinal angular momenta of light
- Angular Momenta and Spin-Orbit Interaction of Nonparaxial Light in Free Space
- Conservation of the spin and orbital angular momenta in electromagnetism
- Experimental Verification of Position-Dependent Angular-Momentum Selection Rules for Absorption of Twisted Light by a Bound Electron
- Enhancement of the quadrupole interaction of an atom with guided light of an ultrathin optical fiber
- Parallel axis theorem for free-space electron wavefunctions
- Resolution in rotation measurements
Cited by in corpus (4)
- Coherent transfer of the transverse momentum of an optical vortex beam to the motion of a single trapped ion
- Spin-Textured Neutron Beams with Orbital Angular Momentum
- Transfer of angular momentum of guided light to an atom with an electric quadrupole transition near an optical nanofiber
- Absorption of hybrid fibre modes by Cs atoms in quadrupole transitions