Manifestations of Berry's topological phase for the photon
Abstract
Recently, Berry recognized in quantum mechanics a topological phase factor arising from the adiabatic transport of a system around a closed circuit, which is essentially the Aharonov-Bohm effect in parameter space. Here we consider manifestations of this phase factor for a photon in a state of adiabatically invariant helicity. An interferometer is suggested to see this phase. Also, an effective optical activity for a helical optical fiber is predicted. These effects emerge on a classical level as topological features of Maxwell's theory.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- August 1986
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1986PhRvL..57..933C
- Keywords:
-
- Fiber Optics;
- Light Transmission;
- Optical Activity;
- Photons;
- Quantum Mechanics;
- Topology;
- Adiabatic Conditions;
- Interferometers;
- Maxwell Equation;
- Microwave Transmission;
- Optical Fibers;
- Physics (General);
- 03.65.Bz;
- 42.10.Jd;
- 42.81.-i;
- 84.40.Sr;
- Fiber optics