Optical helicity of interfering waves

TL;DR

This paper explores the concept of optical helicity, clarifying its properties and differences from light spin, through theoretical analysis and explicit examples of wave superpositions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of optical helicity in classical electromagnetism and highlights its distinction from light spin with illustrative examples.

Findings

Helicity is a distinct property from light spin.

Explicit superpositions of plane waves demonstrate helicity characteristics.

Helicity relates to, but differs from, the spin of light.

Abstract

Helicity is a property of light which is familiar from particle physics but less well-known in optics. In this paper we recall the explicit form taken by the helicity of light within classical electromagnetic theory and reflect upon some of its remarkable characteristics. The helicity of light is related to, but is distinct from, the spin of light. To emphasise this fact, we draw a simple analogy between the helicity of light and electric charge and between the spin of light and electric current. We illustrate this and other observations by examining various superpositions of plane waves explicitly.