Vorticity of Twisted Electron Fields: Role of the Energy–Momentum Tensor

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Abstract
Electron fields (and more generally spinor fields) with a vortex structure in free space that allows them to have arbitrary integer orbital angular momentum along the direction of motion have been studied for some time. We point out that there are several ways to calculate the local velocity of the electron field, defined as the ratio of momentum density to energy density, and that all but one show a singular vorticity at the vortex line. That one, using the Dirac bilinear current with no derivatives, is the only one so far (to our knowledge) studied in the literature in this context and we further show how to understand an apparent conflict in the existing results. The momentum densities corresponding to the three possible velocity fields give different physical results, in particular regarding the electron induced quantum superkicks given to small electron-absorbing test objects.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (PHY-2111063)
  • National Science Foundation (PHY-1812326)
  • Army Research Office (W911NF-23-1- 412 0085)

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