Geometrical Optics of Beams with Vortices: Berry Phase and Orbital Angular Momentum Hall Effect

2006/03/31 by Konstantin Y. Bliokh, K. Yu. Bliokh · 4 citations
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Angular momentum #Angular momentum coupling #Angular momentum of light #Beam (structure) #Classical mechanics #Condensed matter physics #Geometric phase #Isotropy #Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications #Optical vortex #Optics #Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics #Orbital angular momentum multiplexing #Orbital angular momentum of light #Orbital motion #Paraxial approximation #Photon #Physics #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Quantum electrodynamics #Quantum optics and atomic interactions #Total angular momentum quantum number #Vortex #cond-mat.other #physics.optics

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.97.043901

published as Phys.Rev.Lett. 97 (2006) 043901 · 5 pages, 2 figures

arxiv created 2006/07/28 · openalex publication_date 2006/07/28 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We consider propagation of a paraxial beam carrying the spin angular momentum (polarization) and intrinsic orbital angular momentum (IOAM) in a smoothly inhomogeneous isotropic medium. It is shown that the presence of IOAM can dramatically enhance and rearrange the topological phenomena that previously were considered solely in connection to the polarization of transverse waves. In particular, the appearance of a new type of Berry phase that describes the parallel transport of the beam structure along a curved ray is predicted. We derive the ray equations demonstrating the splitting of beams with different values of IOAM. This is the orbital angular momentum Hall effect, which resembles the Magnus effect for optical vortices. Unlike the spin Hall effect of photons, it can be much larger in magnitude and is inherent to waves of any nature. Experimental means to detect the phenomena are discussed.

Citations

• Modified geometrical optics of a smoothly inhomogeneous isotropic medium: The anisotropy, Berry phase, and the optical Magnus effect
• Hall Effect of Light
• Spin Hall effect and Berry phase of spinning particles
• Topological spin transport of photons: the optical Magnus effect and Berry phase
• Dissipationless Quantum Spin Current at Room Temperature
• Quantal phase factors accompanying adiabatic changes
• Topological spin transport of photons: Magnetic monopole gauge field in Maxwell's equations and polarization splitting of rays in periodically inhomogeneous media
• Spin gauge fields: From Berry phase to topological spin transport and Hall effects

Cited by

• Spin-Orbit Coupling in Helical Waveguides: A Local Duality Perspective and Emergent Gauge Fields
• Geometrodynamics of polarized light: Berry phase and spin Hall effect in a gradient-index medium
• Non-Abelian evolution of electromagnetic waves in a weakly anisotropic inhomogeneous medium
• Unified Approach towards the Dynamics of Optical and Electron Vortex Beams