Expand this Topic clickable element to expand a topic
Skip to content
Optica Publishing Group

The Kinetic Formulation of Electrodynamics and Implications for Optical Manipulation

Not Accessible

Your library or personal account may give you access

Abstract

It has been over a century since the origin of the well known Abraham-Minkowski controversy over the momentum of light in matter. In quantum terms, the Minkowski momentum of a photon pM = hk/2π = nhν/c is related to the reduced wavelength in matter through the wavenumber k, and the Abraham momentum pA = mv = /nc is related to Einstein’s mass equivalent m = /c2, where h is Plank’s constant, n is the refractive index, ν is the frequency, and c is the speed of light in vacuum. In 2010, Barnett proposed a resolution to the debate which identitied Abraham’s kinetic momentum as being responsible for the overall center of mass translations of a medium and Minkowski’s canonical momentum as being responsible for translations within or with respect to a medium [1]. Since, the classical theory has been reviewed, and it has been determined that a complete formulation for the kinetic subsystem of electrodynamics has yet to be identified [2].

© 2013 Optical Society of America

PDF Article
More Like This
A generalized momentum for continuum electrodynamics

Michael E. Crenshaw
FTuG10 Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2004

Experimental study of angular momentum implications of the Abraham-Minkowski controversy

M. Kristensen and J. P. Woerdman
QWG2 European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC) 1994

Resolution of the Problem of Minkowski and Abraham

D. F. Nelson
FMM2 OSA Annual Meeting (FIO) 1990

Select as filters


Select Topics Cancel
© Copyright 2024 | Optica Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved