Tailoring propagation of light via spin-orbit interactions in correlated disorder

TL;DR

This paper explores how spin-orbit interactions in disordered media can be used to control light propagation, revealing an oscillating spin Hall effect influenced by disorder correlations and measurable through weak measurement techniques.

Contribution

It demonstrates the ability to tailor light trajectories in disordered environments by exploiting disorder correlations and uncovers an oscillating spin Hall effect caused by SOI.

Findings

Disorder correlation can be used to control ballistic beam trajectories.

An oscillating spin Hall effect exists due to SOI in disordered media.

Weak measurement can enhance the detection of this effect.

Abstract

Based on the fundamental interplay between spatial wavefronts and polarization degrees of freedom, spin-orbit interactions (SOI) of light constitute a novel tool for optical control at the nanoscale. While well described in simple geometries, SOI of light in disordered environments, where only a partial knowledge of the material's microscopy is available, remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that in transversally random media, the disorder correlation can be exploited to tailor a variety of trajectories for ballistic beams via SOI. In particular, we unveil the existence of an oscillating spin Hall effect, stemming from the deformation of the phase of the wavefront due to SOI. In combination with a weak measurement, this phenomenon can also be maximized by an optimal choice of the disorder correlation.