Spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in spin Hall effect of light

OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS

卷:285

Article

Luo, Hailu¹  Wen, Shuangchun¹  Shu, Weixing¹  Fan, Dianyuan¹ 

[1] Hunan Univ, Key Lab Micro Nano Optoelect Devices, Minist Educ, Coll Informat Sci & Engn, Changsha 410082, Hunan, Peoples R China

关键词: Spin Hall effect of light;    Spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion;    Refractive index gradient;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.optcom.2011.10.014

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

From the viewpoint of classical electrodynamics, we identify the role of spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in spin Hall effect (SHE) of light. We introduce a distinct separation between spin and orbital angular momenta to clarify the spin-orbital interaction in conventional beam refraction. We demonstrate that the refractive index gradient can enhance or suppress the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion, and thus can control the SHE of light. We suggest that the metamaterial whose refractive index can be tailored arbitrarily may become a good candidate for amplifying or eliminating the SHE of light, and by properly facilitating the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion the SHE may be enhanced dramatically. The transverse spatial shifts governed by the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion, provide us a clear physical picture to clarify the role of refractive index gradient in the SHE of light. These findings provide a pathway for modulating the SHE of light and can be extrapolated to other physical systems. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free