Polarization and image rotation induced by a rotating dielectric rod:: an optical angular momentum interpretation

When light is transmitted along the axis of a rotating glass rod, the polarization of the light is rotated through a small angle [Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 349, 423 (1976)]. Under the same conditions, we predict a rotation of the transmitted image by exactly the same angle. The treatment of the two effects in terms of light's spin and orbital angular momentum suggests that they share a common origin. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.