Sujit Rajak | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Geometry Driven Spin Polarization Effects in Waveguiding Plasmonic Crystal

We investigated the modulation in the polarization-dependent optical behaviour of the waveguiding plasmonic crystal by varying the illumination and detection geometry. We employed the finite element method-based COMSOL simulation and Jones-Mueller formalisms to probe the variations in optical parameters by systematically varying the angle of incidence and azimuthal angle of the incident plane wave source, thereby quantifying the variations in the polarization anisotropy parameters. The enhancement of optical properties at various resonances and the tunability of the hybridized modes are discussed. Importantly, our study reveals that despite the system being perfectly inversion-symmetric and achiral, it exhibits circular polarization anisotropy effects for non-zero finite azimuthal angles, manifested in the off-block-diagonal elements of the constructed Mueller matrices. The origin of this intriguing circular anisotropy effect is unravelled using the sequential linear birefringence and linear diattenuation effects arising from geometrical polarization transformation. Its implications in the spin-orbit interaction of light in the plasmonic crystal system are discussed.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2025

Spin-Split Dispersion of Leaky Surface plasmons in Inversion- Symmetric System

Spin-dependent dispersion and Rashba effect are manifestations of universal spin orbit interaction associated with the breaking of the spatial inversion symmetry in condensed matter and in optical systems. In sharp contrast to this, we report a spin-split dispersion effect of leaky surface plasmons in an inversion-symmetric one dimensional plasmonic grating system. In our system, the signature of spin-momentum locking and the resulting spin-polarization dependent splitting of dispersion of the surface plasmons are observed through the leakage radiation detected in a Fourier (momentum) domain optical arrangement. The setup enables single-shot recording of the full polarization-resolved dispersion (frequency vs transverse momentum (k)) of the leaky surface plasmons. Momentum domain polarization analysis identified a transverse momentum (k) dependent linear birefringence-linear dichroism effect (referred to as the geometric LB-LD effect) responsible for the observed spin-split dispersion. This unconventional SOI effect is reminiscent of the recently reported LB-LD effect resulting in giant chirality in centrosymmetric crystal, albeit with geometric origin. It is demonstrated that the interplay of the geometrical polarization transformation in focused polarized light and subsequent interaction of the structured field polarization with the plasmonic grating leads to the evolution of strong geometrical phase gradient or spin(circular polarization)-dependent transverse momentum of light resulting in spin-split dispersion. Our study offers a new paradigm of spin-based dispersion engineering and spin-enabled nano-optical functionalities in simple symmetric metasurfaces using geometric LB-LD effect.

physics.optics↗