Polarization Optics Analogy of Quantum Wavefunctions in Graphene

TL;DR

This paper draws an analogy between polarization optics and quantum wavefunctions in graphene, deriving optical equivalents of quantum phenomena and highlighting key differences due to chiral symmetry.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analogy between polarization optics and quantum behavior in graphene, including optical equivalents of the Dirac equation and refractive index.

Findings

Derived optical analogs of quantum wavefunctions and Dirac equation in graphene

Established optical equivalents of refractive index and reflection laws

Identified differences caused by chiral symmetry in quantum vs. classical optics

Abstract

Detailed similarities between polarization states of light and ballistic charge carriers in graphene are derived. Based on these, the optical equivalent of quantum wavefunctions, Dirac equation, and the effect of an electrostatic potential are found, and the quantum analog of the refractive index of light and of the optical composition law of reflection coefficients are obtained. The differences between the behavior of quantum wavefunctions in graphene and electromagnetic fields, due to the chiral symmetry of ballistic charge carriers that cannot be mimicked in classical polarization optics, are also evidenced.