Transverse energy circulation and the edge diffraction of an optical vortex beam

Transformations of the transverse Poynting vector distribution upon diffraction of a circularly polarized paraxial beam

Usually, the structure of paraxial light beams is characterized by the intensity associated with distribution of the longitudinal energy flow density (Poynting momentum) across the transverse plane. In this work, special attention is paid to the distribution of internal energy flows described by the transverse Poynting momentum (TPM) components. This approach discloses additional polarization-dependent features of the vector beam transformations; in application to the edge diffraction of a circularly polarized (CP) Gaussian beam, it reveals the helicity-dependent asymmetry of the diffracted-field TPM profile characterized by the shifts of the TPM singularity, maximum, etc. These phenomena are confirmed experimentally and interpreted in terms of the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and spin Hall effect of light. In contrast to the known SOI manifestations in the CP beams' diffraction originating from the small longitudinal component of a paraxial field, the new TPM-related effects stem from the transverse field components and are thus much higher in magnitude.

Splitting an optical vortex beam to study photonic orbit-orbit interactions

We numerically and experimentally evidence photonic orbit-orbit interactions in freely propagating asymmetrical beams carrying orbital angular momentum. A Fresnel biprism is used to carry out the wavefront division of an optical vortex beam, generating two complementary asymmetrical beams. The optical orbital Hall effect is presented in the form of angular deviations from the beam's geometrical expectation. We also observe the rotation of the field transverse profile near the nominal propagation axis upon propagation, which direction depends on orbital momentum currents.

Recent advances in the spin Hall effect of light

The spin Hall effect (SHE) of light, as an analogue of the SHE in electronic systems, is a promising candidate for investigating the SHE in semiconductor spintronics/valleytronics, high-energy physics and condensed matter physics, owing to their similar topological nature in the spin-orbit interaction. The SHE of light exhibits unique potential for exploring the physical properties of nanostructures, such as determining the optical thickness, and the material properties of metallic and magnetic thin films and even atomically thin two-dimensional materials. More importantly, it opens a possible pathway for controlling the spin states of photons and developing next-generation photonic spin Hall devices as a fundamental constituent of the emerging spinoptics. In this review, based on the viewpoint of the geometric phase gradient, we give a detailed presentation of the recent advances in the SHE of light and its applications in precision metrology and future spin-based photonics.