Torque of guided light on an atom near an optical nanofiber

Abstract

We calculate analytically and numerically the axial orbital and spin torques of guided light on a two-level atom near an optical nanofiber. We show that the generation of these torques is governed by the angular momentum conservation law in the Minkowski formulation. The orbital torque on the atom near the fiber has a contribution from the average recoil of spontaneously emitted photons. Photon angular momentum and atomic spin angular momentum can be converted into atomic orbital angular momentum. The orbital and spin angular momenta of the guided field are not transferred separately to the orbital and spin angular momenta of the atom.