中国物理B ›› 2013, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (3): 34101-034101.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/22/3/034101

• ELECTROMAGNETISM, OPTICS, ACOUSTICS, HEAT TRANSFER, CLASSICAL MECHANICS, AND FLUID DYNAMICS • 上一篇    下一篇

Switching the direction of spin accumulation in the spin Hall effect of light by adjusting the optical axis of an uniaxial crystal

唐明, 周新星, 肖志成, 罗海陆, 文双春   

  1. Key Laboratory for Micro-/Nano-Optoelectronic Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Information Science and Engineering,Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
  • 收稿日期:2012-10-31 修回日期:2012-11-12 出版日期:2013-02-01 发布日期:2013-02-01
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 61025024 and 11074068) and the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 12JJ7005).

Switching the direction of spin accumulation in the spin Hall effect of light by adjusting the optical axis of an uniaxial crystal

Tang Ming (唐明), Zhou Xin-Xing (周新星), Xiao Zhi-Cheng (肖志成), Luo Hai-Lu (罗海陆), Wen Shuang-Chun (文双春)   

  1. Key Laboratory for Micro-/Nano-Optoelectronic Devices of Ministry of Education, School of Information Science and Engineering,Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
  • Received:2012-10-31 Revised:2012-11-12 Online:2013-02-01 Published:2013-02-01
  • Contact: Luo Hai-Lu E-mail:hailuluo@hnu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 61025024 and 11074068) and the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 12JJ7005).

摘要: We theoretically and experimentally investigate a switchable spin Hall effect (SHE) of light in reflection near the Brewster angle at an air-uniaxial crystal interface. We find a large transverse spin splitting near the Brewster angle, whose sign can be altered by rotating the optical axis. As an analogy of the SHE in an electronic system, a switchable spin accumulation in the SHE of light is detected. We are able to switch the direction of the spin accumulation by adjusting the optical axis angle of the uniaxial crystal. These findings may give opportunities for photon spin manipulating and developing a new generation of nano-photonic devices.

关键词: spin Hall effect of light, spin accumulation, uniaxial crystal, transverse displacement

Abstract: We theoretically and experimentally investigate a switchable spin Hall effect (SHE) of light in reflection near the Brewster angle at an air–uniaxial crystal interface. We find a large transverse spin splitting near the Brewster angle, whose sign can be altered by rotating the optical axis. As an analogy of the SHE in an electronic system, a switchable spin accumulation in the SHE of light is detected. We are able to switch the direction of the spin accumulation by adjusting the optical axis angle of the uniaxial crystal. These findings may give opportunities for photon spin manipulating and developing a new generation of nano-photonic devices.

Key words: spin Hall effect of light, spin accumulation, uniaxial crystal, transverse displacement

中图分类号:  (Electromagnetic wave propagation; radiowave propagation)

  • 41.20.Jb
42.25.Dd (Wave propagation in random media) 42.79.-e (Optical elements, devices, and systems)