Colloquium: Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media

Abstract

Almost a hundred years ago, two different expressions were proposed for the energy-momentum tensor of an electromagnetic wave in a dielectric. Minkowski's tensor predicted an increase in the linear momentum of the wave on entering a dielectric medium, whereas Abraham's tensor predicted its decrease. Theoretical arguments were advanced in favour of both sides, and experiments proved incapable of distinguishing between the two. Yet more forms were proposed, each with their advocates who considered the form that they were proposing to be the one true tensor. This paper reviews the debate and its eventual conclusion: that no electromagnetic wave energy-momentum tensor is complete on its own. When the appropriate accompanying energy-momentum tensor for the material medium is also considered, experimental predictions of all the various proposed tensors will always be the same, and the preferred form is therefore effectively a matter of personal choice.

Extraordinary momentum and spin in evanescent waves

“…The transverse momentum and spin appear due to the two features of the evanescent field (7). The first one is the imaginary longitudinal component of the field polarization: À i k=k z ð Þẑ.…”

“…Recently, we developed and successfully tested an extension of the Mie theory (based on complex-angle rotation of the standard theory), which describes the scattering of the incident evanescent wave (7) 41 (see also refs 55,56). Using this exact semi-analytical method, we calculate the radiation force and torque acting on the particle of radius a, complex permittivity e p , and permeability m p , immersed in the evanescent field (7). Figure 3a,c shows the schematic of the corresponding experiment using the total internal reflection at a glass prism.…”

“…These are the main dynamical properties of electromagnetic waves, which are also preserved in the quantum-mechanical picture of photons 4 . Optical momentum and AM play a crucial role in various light-matter interactions [5][6][7] , including laser cooling [8][9][10] , optical manipulation of atoms or small particles [8][9][10][11][12][13] , and in optomechanical systems 14 .…”

Electromagnetic energy, momentum, and angular momentum in an inhomogeneous linear dielectric

“…While simple in concept, the form of the energy-momentum tensor for the electromagnetic field in a dielectric has been at the center of the centurylong Abraham-Minkowski controversy [8]. The tensor that was proposed by Minkowski [9] in 1908 is not diagonally symmetric, a fact that is adverse to conservation of angular momentum [10].…”

Axiomatic Geometrical Optics, Abraham-Minkowski Controversy, and Photon Properties Derived Classically

“…The traditional arguments can be found in reviews like Refs. [56][57][58][59][60][61][62] and references therein, too numerous to be listed in this paper. Let us mention only briefly that two alternative forms of the PDM momentum are adopted most commonly,…”