On Photon Spin and the Electrodynamic Origin of the charge of the Electron

Abstract

We recently performed experiments on the transfer of photon spin to electron orbital angular momentum. For an interpretation of the experimental results we used a classical electrodynamic model of the photon as a propagating electromagnetic solitary wave which is developed in detail here. A linearly polarized monochromatic photon is considered as a propagating solitary electromagnetic wave of finite energy hf which carries an angular momentum h/2pi with the frequency f and Plancks constant h. This model has, apart from being a tool for an interpretation of our experimental results, far reaching consequences of fundamental relevance and guides us to an outline to a unified quantum theory of electromagnetism and gravitation including an explanation of the electrodynamic origin of the quantized charge of an electron.