Stokes, A (2016) Quantum optical dipole radiation fields. European Journal of Physics, 37 (3). 034001-034001. ISSN 0143-0807
Abstract
We introduce quantum optical dipole radiation fields defined in terms of photon creation and annihilation operators. These fields are identified through their spatial dependence, as the components of the total fields that survive infinitely far from the dipole source. We use these radiation fields to perturbatively evaluate the electromagnetic radiated energy-flux of the excited dipole. Our results indicate that the standard interpretation of a bare atom surrounded by a localised virtual photon cloud, is difficult to sustain, because the radiated energy-flux surviving infinitely far from the source contains virtual contributions. It follows that there is a clear distinction to be made between a radiative photon defined in terms of the radiation fields and a real photon, whose identification depends on whether or not a given process conserves the free energy. This free energy is represented by the difference between the total dipole-field Hamiltonian and its interaction component.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. |
Keywords: | Quantum optics; radiation fields; virtual photons; Poynting vector |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Physics and Astronomy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 17 Oct 2016 14:50 |
Last Modified: | 17 Oct 2016 14:50 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0143-0807/37/3/034001 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | IOP Publishing |
Identification Number: | 10.1088/0143-0807/37/3/034001 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:106121 |