Optical angular momentum

"Spin angular momentum of photons and the associated polarization of light has been known for many years. However, it is only over the last decade or so that physically realizable laboratory light beams have been used to study the orbital angular momentum of light. In many respects, orbital and spin angular momentum behave in a similar manner, but they differ significantly in others. In particular, orbital angular momentum offers exciting new possibilities with respect to the optical manipulation of matter and to the study of the entanglement of photons. Bringing together 44 landmark papers, Optical Angular Momentum offers the first comprehensive overview of the subject as it has developed. It chronicles the first decade of this important subject and gives a definitive statement of the current status of all aspects of optical angular momentum. In each chapter the editors include a concise introduction, putting the selected papers into context and outlining the key articles associated with this aspect of the subject."--Provided by publisher.

1. Introduction -- 1.1. The wave motion of a revolving shaft, and a suggestion as to the angular momentum in a beam of circularly polarised light /J.H. Poynting -- 1.2. Mechanical detection and measurement of the angular momentum of light /R.A. Beth -- 1.3. Introduction to the atoms and angular momentum of light special issue /L. Allen -- 2. Spin and Orbital Angular Momentum -- 2.1. Orbital angular momentum of light and the transformation of Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes /L. Allen, M.W. Beijersbergen, R.J.C. Spreeuw and J.P. Woerdman -- 2.2. Eigenfunction description of laser beams and orbital angular momentum of light /S.J. van Enk and G. Nienhuis -- 2.3. Paraxial wave optics and harmonic oscillators /G. Nienhuis and L. Allen -- 2.4. Matrix formulation for the propagation of light beams with orbital and spin angular momenta /L. Allen, J. Courtial and M.J. Padgett -- 2.5. Paraxial beams of spinning light /M.V. Berry.

2.6. The Poynting vector in Laguerre-Gaussian beams and the interpretation of their angular momentum density /L. Allen and M.J. Padgett -- 2.7. Intrinsic and extrinsic nature of the orbital angular momentum of a light beam /A.T. O'Neil, I. MacVicar, L. Allen and M.J.…