Abstract
In this paper the degrees of freedom of the electromagnetic field are discussed. It is pointed out that a single complex function, which satisfies a two-dimensional wave equation, can be defined to describe the dynamics of the Maxwell field. The canonical quantization procedure is then applied to quantize this wave equation for the case without charges. As a result, the electromagnetic field is effectively quantized, with the familiar problem of constraints becoming redundant in this simple case.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 103-114 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 May 1970 |
| Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Nuclear and High Energy Physics
- Astronomy and Astrophysics