Abstract

We introduce a generalized angular spectrum representation for quantized light beams. By using our formalism, we are able to derive simple expressions for the electromagnetic vector potential operator in the case of (a) time-independent paraxial fields, (b) time-dependent paraxial fields, and (c) nonparaxial fields. For the first case the well-known paraxial results are fully recovered.

© 2006 Optical Society of America

Observation of the orbital angular momentum spectrum of a light beam

M. V. Vasnetsov, J. P. Torres, D. V. Petrov, and Lluis Torner
Opt. Lett. 28(23) 2285-2287 (2003)

Rotational transformations and transverse energy flow in paraxial light beams: linear azimuthons

Aleksandr Bekshaev and Marat Soskin
Opt. Lett. 31(14) 2199-2201 (2006)

Exact analytical solution for the vector electromagnetic field of Gaussian, flattened Gaussian, and annular Gaussian laser modes

Scott M. Sepke and Donald P. Umstadter
Opt. Lett. 31(10) 1447-1449 (2006)

Backscattered polarization patterns, optical vortices, and the angular momentum of light

Chaim Schwartz and Aristide Dogariu
Opt. Lett. 31(8) 1121-1123 (2006)

Giant lateral shift of a light beam at the defect mode in one-dimensional photonic crystals

Li-Gang Wang and Shi-Yao Zhu
Opt. Lett. 31(1) 101-103 (2006)