Continuous Symmetries and Conservation Laws in Chiral Media

Crimin, F. , MacKinnon, N., Götte, J. B. and Barnett, S. M. (2020) Continuous Symmetries and Conservation Laws in Chiral Media. In: SPIE OPTO 2020, San Francisco, CA, USA, 1-6 Feb 2020, (doi: 10.1117/12.2550815)

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Abstract

Locally conserved quantities of the electromagnetic field in lossless chiral media are derived from Noether's theorem, including helicity, chirality, momentum, and angular momentum, as well as the separate spin and orbital components of this last quantity. We discuss sources and sinks of each in the presence of current densities within the material, and in some cases, as also generated by inhomogeneity of the medium. A previously obtained result connecting sources of helicity and energy within chiral materials is explored, revealing that association between the two quantities is not restricted to chiral media alone. Rather, it is analogous to the connection between the momentum, and the spin and orbital components of the total angular momentum. The analysis reveals a new quantity, appearing as the "orbital" counterpart of the helicity density in classical electromagnetism.

Item Type:Conference Proceedings
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Goette, Dr Joerg and Barnett, Professor Stephen and Mackinnon, Mr Neel and Crimin, Dr Frances
Authors: Crimin, F., MacKinnon, N., Götte, J. B., and Barnett, S. M.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
ISSN:0277-786X
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2020 SPIE
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
301592Foundations and Applications of Optical Forces - Enhancement awardStephen BarnettThe Royal Society (ROYSOC)RP\EA\180010P&S - Physics & Astronomy
173378Astronomy and physics, theoretical physics and application physics / Quantum Theory. Royal Society Research Professorship.Stephen BarnettThe Royal Society (ROYSOC)RP150122P&S - Physics & Astronomy
172865EPSRC DTP 16/17 and 17/18Tania GalabovaEngineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)EP/N509668/1Research and Innovation Services