TY - JOUR
T1 - Angular momentum flux of counterpropagating paraxial beams
AU - Alexeyev, Constantine N.
AU - Yavorsky, Maxim A.
AU - Shvedov, Vladlen G.
PY - 2008/3
Y1 - 2008/3
N2 - We study the angular momentum (AM) of the arbitrary superposition of counterpropagating paraxial beams that have the same magnitude of the wavenumber. We derive compact analytical expressions for the total AM in a transverse cross section (linear AM density) and the total AM flux through the cross section. We demonstrate that whereas for the time-averaged linear AM density its separation into the spin and orbital parts is not, generally, observed, the total time-averaged AM flux is separated into well-identifiable spin and orbital constituents. Moreover, we show that such a flux is also naturally separated into the fluxes of forward- and backward-propagating beams.
AB - We study the angular momentum (AM) of the arbitrary superposition of counterpropagating paraxial beams that have the same magnitude of the wavenumber. We derive compact analytical expressions for the total AM in a transverse cross section (linear AM density) and the total AM flux through the cross section. We demonstrate that whereas for the time-averaged linear AM density its separation into the spin and orbital parts is not, generally, observed, the total time-averaged AM flux is separated into well-identifiable spin and orbital constituents. Moreover, we show that such a flux is also naturally separated into the fluxes of forward- and backward-propagating beams.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=44349140156&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1364/JOSAA.25.000643
DO - 10.1364/JOSAA.25.000643
M3 - Article
SN - 1084-7529
VL - 25
SP - 643
EP - 646
JO - Journal of the Optical Society of America A: Optics and Image Science, and Vision
JF - Journal of the Optical Society of America A: Optics and Image Science, and Vision
IS - 3
ER -