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arXiv · 1505.02864

Spin-orbit interactions of light

K. Y. Bliokh·F. J. Rodriguez-Fortuno·F. Nori·A. V. Zayats
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Abstract

Light carries spin and orbital angular momentum. These dynamical properties are determined by the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of light. Modern nano-optics, photonics, and plasmonics, tend to explore subwavelength scales and additional degrees of freedom of structured, i.e., spatially-inhomogeneous, optical fields. In such fields, spin and orbital properties become strongly coupled with each other. We overview the fundamental origins and important applications of the main spin-orbit interaction phenomena in optics. These include: spin-Hall effects in inhomogeneous media and at optical interfaces, spin-dependent effects in nonparaxial (focused or scattered) fields, spin-controlled shaping of light using anisotropic structured interfaces (metasurfaces), as well as robust spin-directional coupling via evanescent near fields. We show that spin-orbit interactions are inherent in all basic optical processes, and they play a crucial role at subwavelength scales and structures in modern optics.

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K. Y. Bliokh, F. J. Rodriguez-Fortuno, F. Nori, A. V. Zayats. 2015-05-20. Spin-orbit interactions of light. https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2015.201

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