Optical Helicity and Chirality: Conservation and Sources
Source abstract
Abstract
We consider the helicity and chirality of the free electromagnetic field, and advocate the former as a means of characterising the interaction of chiral light with matter. This is in view of the intuitive quantum form of the helicity density operator, and of the dual symmetry transformation generated by its conservation. We go on to review the form of the helicity density and its associated continuity equation in free space, in the presence of local currents and charges, and upon interaction with bulk media, leading to characterisation of both microscopic and macroscopic sources of helicity.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Molecular spectroscopy and chirality · Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies · Optical Polarization and Ellipsometry
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Funding
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council · Royal Society
References (57)
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