2010/07/10 by Hailu Luo, Shuangchun Wen, Luo, Hailu +5
Physics and Astronomy · #Classical Physics (physics.class-ph) #Cold Atom Physics and Bose-Einstein Condensates #FOS: Physical sciences #Optics (physics.optics) #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #physics.class-ph #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1007.1689
9 pages, 6 figures
openalex publication_date 2010/07/10 · arxiv created 2011/06/10 · arxiv updated 2011/06/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
From the viewpoint of classical electrodynamics, we identify the role of spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in spin Hall effect of light (SHE). We introduce a distinct separation between spin and orbital angular momenta to clarify the spin-orbital interaction in the SHE of light. 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 in conventional beam refraction. 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 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.