Critical study and discrimination of different formulations of electromagnetic force density and consequent stress tensors inside matter

Abstract

By examination of the exerted electromagnetic (EM) force on boundary of an object in a few examples, we look into the compatibility of the stress tensors corresponding to different formulae of the EM force density with special relativity. Ampere-Lorentz's formula of the EM force density is physically justifiable in that the electric field and the magnetic flux density act on the densities of the total charges and the total currents, unlike Minkowski's formula which completely excludes the densities of the bounded charges and the bounded currents inside homogeneous media. Abraham's formula is fanciful and devoid of physical meaning. Einstein-Laub's formula seems to include the densities of the total charges and the total currents at first sight, but grouping the bounded charges and the bounded currents into point-like dipoles erroneously results in the hidden momentum being omitted, hence the error in [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 193901 (2012)]. Naturally, the Ampere-Lorentz stress tensor accords with special relativity. The Minkowski stress tensor is also consistent with special relativity. It is worth noting that the mathematical expression of the Minkowski stress tensor can be quite different from the well-known form of this stress tensor in the literature. We show that the Einstein-Laub stress tensor is incompatible with special relativity, and therefore we rebut the Einstein-Laub force density. Since the Abraham momentum density of the EM fields is inherently corresponding to the Einstein-Laub force density [Phys. Rev. Lett 111, 043602 (2013)], our rebuttal may also shed light on the controversy over the momentum of light.