Abstract
Electromagnetic waves carry energy as well as linear and angular momenta. Interactions between light and material media typically involve the exchange of all three entities. In all such interactions energy and momentum (both linear and angular) are conserved. Johannes Kepler seems to have been the first person to notice that the pressure of sunlight is responsible for the tails of the comets pointing away from the Sun. Modern applications of radiation pressure and photon momentum include solar sails, optical tweezers for optical trapping and micro-manipulation, and optically-driven micro-motors and actuators. This paper briefly describes certain fundamental aspects underlying the mechanical properties of light, and examines several interesting phenomena involving the linear and angular momenta of photons.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
| Publisher | SPIE |
| Volume | 9186 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781628412130 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2014 |
| Event | 50 Years of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona - San Diego, United States Duration: Aug 19 2014 → Aug 20 2014 |
Other
| Other | 50 Years of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | San Diego |
| Period | 8/19/14 → 8/20/14 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Mathematics
- Computer Science Applications
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics