Using the infinite optical eigenmode operators defined for Maxwell's equations, we introduce the energy, linear momentum, angular momentum and optical spin of the electromagnetic fields. We show that these different quantities are conserved during the propagation of light in vacuum and are additive only for optical eigenmodes. We further discuss the behaviour of the optical spin during a rotation and its conservation in tightly focused beams.
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Michaël Mazilu (2011) studied this question.
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