Radiation pressure on macroscopic bodies

The force exerted by a high-frequency electric field on a macroscopic body is calculated. Starting from total momentum conservation, a rigorous definition of radiation force density is given, and the relationship between a time-averaged Maxwellian stress tensor and radiation pressure is clarified. Formulas are presented for calculating the volume force density of the radiation-force term. It is further shown that all resonant wave–wave interactions of nonlinear optics, such as stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering, are driven by radiation pressure. The limits of validity of the radiation-pressure concept are discussed.