Relativistic operator description of photon polarization

Arvind, ; Mukunda, N. (1996) Relativistic operator description of photon polarization Pramana - Journal of Physics, 47 (5). pp. 347-359. ISSN 0304-4289

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Official URL: http://www.ias.ac.in/j_archive/pramana/47/5/347-35...

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02847821

Abstract

We present an operator approach to the description of photon polarization, based on Wigner's concept of elementary relativistic systems. The theory of unitary representations of the Poincare group, and of parity, are exploited to construct spinlike operators acting on the polarization states of a photon at each fixed energy momentum. The nontrivial topological features of these representations relevant for massless particles, and the departures from the treatment of massive finite spin representations, are highlighted and addressed.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to Indian Academy of Sciences.
Keywords:Photon Polarization; Poincare Group Representations; Massless Particles
ID Code:78454
Deposited On:20 Jan 2012 04:12
Last Modified:18 May 2016 21:16

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