Polarization Rotation of Chiral Fermions in Vortical Fluid

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that chiral fermions in vortical quantum plasmas experience polarization rotation analogous to optical Faraday rotation, revealing new effects of vorticity on fermionic polarization and potential current generation.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of polarization rotation for chiral fermions in vortical plasmas using chiral kinetic theory, extending optical phenomena to fermionic systems.

Findings

Polarization rotation occurs perpendicular to vorticity and fermion momentum.

The effect is present in both QED and QCD plasmas with vorticity.

Potential generation of vector currents from momentum anisotropy.

Abstract

The rotation of polarization occurs for light interacting with chiral materials. It requires the light states with opposite chiralities interact differently with the materials. We demonstrate analogous rotation of polarization also exists for chiral fermions interacting with quantum electrodynamics plasma with vorticity using chiral kinetic theory. We find that the rotation of polarization is perpendicular both to vorticity and fermion momentum. The effect also exists for chiral fermions in quantum chromodynamics plasma with vorticity. It could lead to generation of a vector current when the probe fermions contain momentum anisotropy.