Crucial experiment to resolve Abraham-Minkowski Controversy

TL;DR

This paper presents a crucial experiment supporting Minkowski's formulation of light momentum in dielectric media, resolving a century-old controversy by testing the composition law of light speeds through a reversed Fizeau experiment.

Contribution

The study provides experimental evidence favoring Minkowski's momentum formulation using a reversed Fizeau setup, clarifying the Abraham-Minkowski controversy.

Findings

Results align with extended Lorentz transformations where c is replaced by c/n

Supports Minkowski's formulation of light momentum in dielectrics

Indicates electromagnetic energy velocity can exceed c in conductors

Abstract

Abraham-Minkowski dilemma concerning the momentum of light within dielectric materials has persisted over 100 years[1]-[2] and conflicting experiments were reported until recently[3]-[4]. We perform a reversed Fizeau experiment to test the composition law of light speeds in media and the result accords with extended Lorentz transformations where the light speed c is changed to c/n. This is a crucial evidence that Minkowski's formulation p=nE/c should be correct although the momentum is not measured directly. By the way, the energy velocity of an electromagnetic field transferred along good conductors may be much faster than c and people have broken the light barrier for a very long time.