Coriolis Effect in Optics: Unified Geometric Phase and Spin-Hall Effect

TL;DR

This paper explores the unified geometric phase arising from spin-orbit coupling in optics, linking the Berry phase to the Coriolis effect, and experimentally demonstrates the spin-Hall effect of light.

Contribution

It introduces a unified theoretical framework for geometric phases in optics and experimentally verifies the spin-Hall effect using surface plasmon nano-structures.

Findings

Unified expression for geometric phase combining spin redirection and Pancharatnam--Berry phases

Experimental verification of polarization-dependent spin-Hall effect

Observation of spin-orbit coupling in electromagnetic waves

Abstract

We examine the spin-orbit coupling effects that appear when a wave carrying intrinsic angular momentum interacts with a medium. The Berry phase is shown to be a manifestation of the Coriolis effect in a non-inertial reference frame attached to the wave. In the most general case, when both the direction of propagation and the state of the wave are varied, the phase is given by a simple expression that unifies the spin redirection Berry phase and the Pancharatnam--Berry phase. The theory is supported by the experiment demonstrating the spin-orbit coupling of electromagnetic waves via a surface plasmon nano-structure. The measurements verify the unified geometric phase, demonstrated by the observed polarization-dependent shift (spin-Hall effect) of the waves.