Published September 2011 | Version v1
Journal article

A new look at the nature of linear momentum and the energy of electromagnetic radiation inside negative refractive media

  • 1. Reactor Control Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Mumbai-400085 (India)
  • 2. Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER) Plot-L2, Block-GP, Sector-V, Salt-Lake Electronics Complex, Kolkata-700091 (India)
  • 3. Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics, University of Calcutta, 92, A.P.C. Road, Kolkata-700009 (India)

Description

More than a century has passed since the concept of wave-particle duality was introduced, where electromagnetic (EM) radiation in a dispersionless free space vacuum is represented by a photon that exhibits both corpuscular and wave natures. Historically, discussions have concentrated on the nature of a photon inside a medium that exhibits dispersion in the refraction property, other than free space. In this paper we call mechanical momentum, wave momentum, and try to match our 'thought experiments' with the properties of the photon, or pulse, carrying the EM energy packet. We also try to find the photon's property energy and momentum inside a positive refractive medium. If the medium shows a negative refractive index behavior, then this has profound consequences, and suitable explanations to the classical concept of the corpuscular-wave nature of a photon inside this medium are needed. In this paper, some of the counterintuitive details of the corpuscular-wave nature of a photon inside a negative indexed material are discussed, producing a possible new definition of wave momentum: the concept of 'reactive energy' inside a negative indexed material. These definitions and expressions of 'wave-momentum' and 'reactive energy' pertaining to negative indexed material are new and are discussed and derived by classical means.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0031-8949/84/03/035707

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physica Scripta (Online)
Journal Volume
84
Journal Issue
3
Journal Page Range
[8 p.]
ISSN
1402-4896

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
43044318
Subject category
S71: CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS;
Descriptors DEI
DUALITY; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; LINEAR MOMENTUM; PARTICLES; PHOTONS; PULSES; REFRACTION; REFRACTIVE INDEX; WAVE PROPAGATION
Descriptors DEC
BOSONS; ELEMENTARY PARTICLES; MASSLESS PARTICLES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; RADIATIONS