There is a distinct difference between the spin and the polarization of a photon
While photon spin angular momentum is closely related to circular polarization, advanced quantum optics demonstrates that photon spin and polarization are distinct concepts, with spin encompassing 3D vector properties and quantum behaviors that extend beyond classical polarization.
The retrieved literature consistently discusses spin angular momentum (SAM) alongside polarization, noting that while they are related (e.g., circular polarization corresponding to spin), photon spin involves full three-dimensional vector descriptions and quantum fluctuations that go beyond standard classical polarization definitions. Papers like [6] and [10] explicitly differentiate the quantum behavior of spin from conventional polarization. Therefore, the claim that there is a distinct difference between spin and polarization is supported.
Soon-Jae Lee, Jae-Pil So, R. Kim, Kyoung-Ho Kim, H. Rha, Gunwoo Na, Jeonghun Han, Kwang-Yong Jeong, K. Nam, Hong-Gyu Park. Spin angular momentum–encoded single-photon emitters in a chiral nanoparticle–coupled WSe2 monolayer. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn7210
This study discusses spin angular momentum (SAM) encoded single-photon emitters, explicitly linking spin to circular polarization properties.
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Li‐Ping Yang, Z. Jacob. Quantum Structured Light: Non-classical Spin Texture of Twisted Single-photon Pulses. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-021-00726-w
This research captures the full three-dimensional projections of vector spin demonstrating quantum behavior beyond the conventional concept of classical polarization.
Kohei Nagai, Takuya Okamoto, Yasushi Shinohara, Haruki Sanada, K. Oguri. High-harmonic spin-orbit angular momentum generation in crystalline solids preserving multiscale dynamical symmetry. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ado7315
The paper examines spin angular momentum (circular polarization) and orbital angular momentum as distinct optical micro- and macroscale structures.
Kaito Terashima, R. Ito, Takashi Kakue, Nobuhiko Yokoshi, Ken Morita. Optical initialization and manipulation of higher-order electron states with spin and orbital angular momentum in a semiconductor quantum disk.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.550223
This work differentiates between spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum in the context of photon-driven fields and electron states.
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