1203.5987 (I. Y. Dodin et al.)

Axiomatic geometrical optics, Abraham-Minkowski controversy, and photon
properties derived classically    [PDF]

I. Y. Dodin, N. J. Fisch

By restating classical geometrical optics within the field-theoretical approach, the concept of a photon in arbitrary dispersive medium is introduced unambiguously, and photon properties are calculated. In particular, the canonical and kinetic momenta and angular momenta carried by a photon, as well as the two corresponding energy-momentum tensors of a wave, are derived straightforwardly from first principles of Lagrangian mechanics. The Abraham-Minkowski controversy pertaining to the definitions of these quantities is hereby resolved for linear waves of arbitrary nature, and corrections to the traditional formulas for the photon kinetic quantities are found. Application of axiomatic geometrical optics to electromagnetic waves is also presented as an example.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1203.5987