A local model for the optical energy and momentum transfer in dielectric media and the microscopic origin of Abraham's force density

Abstract

We report on the continuity equations for linear momentum and energy associated to a recently introduced electromagnetic formulation based on classical dipolar sources [Eur. Phys. J. Plus 138, 1034 (2023)]. When connected to the mass-polariton quasi-particle dynamics, these equations provide a consistent microscopic description of the local optical energy and momentum transfer inside dielectric media, called microscopic mass-polariton formulation. This procedure also unveils the true microscopic origin of the long-known Abraham optical force density as an interplay between induced dipoles and mechanical stresses generated within the material.

References in corpus (7)

• Optical manipulation with metamaterial structures
• Mass-polariton theory of light in dispersive media
• Covariant theory of light in a dispersive medium
• Time-dependent theory of optical electro- and magnetostriction
• The Microscopic Ampère formulation for the electromagnetic force density in linear dielectrics
• Negative radiation pressure in metamaterials explained by light-driven atomic mass density rarefication waves
• QED corrections to Abraham and Aharonov-Casher force on Rydberg atoms

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Optical force density and surface displacements in transparent dielectrics due to non-ionizing sub-picosecond laser excitation