Light with nonzero chemical potential

Thermodynamic states and processes involving light are discussed in which the chemical potential of light is nonzero. Light with nonzero chemical potential is produced in photochemical reactions, for example, in a light emitting diode. The chemical potential of black-body radiation becomes negative upon a Joule expansion. The isothermal diffusion of light, which is a common phenomenon, is driven by the gradient in the chemical potential. These and other examples support the idea that light can be interpreted as a gas of photons, with properties similar to a material gas. (c) 2005 American Association of Physics Teachers.