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Author (up) Agullo, I.; del Rio, A.; Navarro-Salas, J. url  doi
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  Title On the Electric-Magnetic Duality Symmetry: Quantum Anomaly, Optical Helicity, and Particle Creation Type Journal Article
  Year 2018 Publication Symmetry-Basel Abbreviated Journal Symmetry-Basel  
  Volume 10 Issue 12 Pages 763 - 14pp  
  Keywords electric-magnetic duality symmetry; quantum anomalies; optical helicity; electromagnetic polarization; particle creation  
  Abstract It is well known that not every symmetry of a classical field theory is also a symmetry of its quantum version. When this occurs, we speak of quantum anomalies. The existence of anomalies imply that some classical Noether charges are no longer conserved in the quantum theory. In this paper, we discuss a new example for quantum electromagnetic fields propagating in the presence of gravity. We argue that the symmetry under electric-magnetic duality rotations of the source-free Maxwell action is anomalous in curved spacetimes. The classical Noether charge associated with these transformations accounts for the net circular polarization or the optical helicity of the electromagnetic field. Therefore, our results describe the way the spacetime curvature changes the helicity of photons and opens the possibility of extracting information from strong gravitational fields through the observation of the polarization of photons. We also argue that the physical consequences of this anomaly can be understood in terms of the asymmetric quantum creation of photons by the gravitational field.  
  Address [Agullo, Ivan] Louisiana State Univ, Dept Phys & Astron, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA, Email: agullo@lsu.edu;  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Mdpi Place of Publication Editor  
  Language English Summary Language Original Title  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2073-8994 ISBN Medium  
  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes WOS:000454725100101 Approved no  
  Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes  
  Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 3867  
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