Introduction to the atoms and angular momentum of light special issue

L.J. Allen

A very brief comment concerning the literature relating to the angular momentum of light is followed by a précis of a review article on the orbital angular momentum of light published in 1999. An outline is then given of the key developments since 1999 in the study of the angular momentum of light and of the related topic of optical vortices.

L. Allen, M. Babiker, W. L. Power

William D. Phillips

Sonja Franke‐Arnold

Any coherent interaction of light and atoms needs to conserve energy, linear momentum and angular momentum. What happens to an atom's angular momentum if it encounters light that carries orbital angular momentum (OAM)? This is a particularly intriguing question as the angular momentum of atoms is quantized, incorporating the intrinsic spin angular momentum of the individual electrons as well as the OAM associated with their spatial distribution. In addition, a mechanical angular momentum can arise from the rotation of the entire atom, which for very cold atoms is also quantized. Atoms therefore allow us to probe and access the quantum properties of light's OAM, aiding our fundamental understanding of light-matter interactions, and moreover, allowing us to construct OAM-based applications, including quantum memories, frequency converters for shaped light and OAM-based sensors.This article is part of the themed issue 'Optical orbital angular momentum'.

V. E. Lembessis, L. Allen, M. Babiker