Conservation of transverse orbital angular momentum for spatiotemporal optical vortices

Abstract

The transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM) of spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs) has been a topic of active debate in recent years. Previous studies, relying on narrowband and paraxial approximations, resulted in unprecedented conclusions. Some researchers have proposed that electromagnetic waves require a modified definition of OAM to ensure conservation. In this work, we demonstrate that the transverse OAM of STOVs is highly sensitive to these commonly adopted approximations. Using the standard definition of OAM for electromagnetic waves, we demonstrate that the total transverse OAM is conserved during propagation once the narrowband and paraxial assumptions are removed.