Abstract
A photon position operator with commuting components is constructed, and it is proved that it equals the Pryce operator plus a term that compensates for the adiabatic phase. Its eigenkets are transverse and longitudinal vectors, and thus states can be selected that have definite polarization or helicity. For angular momentum and boost operators defined in the usual way, all of the commutation relations of the Poincaré group are satisfied. This new position operator is unitarily equivalent to the Newton-Wigner-Pryce position operator for massive particles.
- Received 13 August 1998
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.59.954
©1999 American Physical Society
