orbital angular momentum

noun

Physics.

1. the component of angular momentum of an electron in an atom or a nucleon in a nucleus, arising from its orbital motion rather than from its spin.

Example Sentences

Optical vortices, which are light beams that carry orbital angular momentum, offer remarkable opportunities for ultra-precise material processing, accelerating particles, expanding data transmission capacity and enabling next-generation photonics.

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"Most experimentalists assume that the angular momentum of light can be split into spin and orbital angular momentum," said Palmerduca.

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"The research was conducted by employing helical light beams carrying orbital angular momentum to probe the optical properties of amorphous and crystalline materials," explains Professor Bhardwaj.

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More recently, scientists have found that electrons are also capable of generating electricity through a second kind of movement: orbital angular momentum, similar to how Earth revolves around the sun.

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Instead, Kawakami's team demonstrated the orbital Hall effect by reflecting polarized light, in this case, a laser, onto various thin films of the light metal chromium to probe the metal's atoms for a potential build-up of orbital angular momentum.

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