Transverse forces related to the transverse shifts of reflected and transmitted light beams

摘要

The process of reflection and transmission of a paraxial wavepacket at a plane interface of two isotropic transparent media is considered. The transverse force (TF), i.e., the force perpendicular to the plane of incidence, exerted by the medium on the field in the course of this process is investigated. It is shown that the TF under investigation can be identified as the reverse Abraham TF. The relations between this force and the transverse shifts (TSs) of the centers of gravity of the reflected and transmitted light beams are established. It is argued that the detection of linear and angular TSs means the determination of the respective TFs. On the basis of the aforementioned relations, the analytical expression for the TF associated with the linear TSs has been obtained, which shows that this TF is a fundamental feature of the transformation of the beam's intrinsic angular momentum at the interface.