Spin-dependent routing of optical beams in the bulk of twisted anisotropic media

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel photonic spin-Hall effect in twisted anisotropic media, where optical beams exhibit spin-dependent trajectories influenced by an effective gauge field, connecting geometric phase and Kapitza effects.

Contribution

It presents a theoretical analysis of a new volumetric PSHE in twisted anisotropic materials, highlighting the role of the rotation angle as an effective gauge field and its symmetry-dependent beam trajectories.

Findings

Optical beams follow mirror-symmetric paths based on helicity.

The rotation angle acts as an effective gauge field.

Connection established between PSHE, geometric phase, and Kapitza effect.

Abstract

We theoretically discuss a new kind of photonic spin-Hall effect (PSHE) for optical beams propagating inside an inhomogeneously twisted anisotropic material. The rotation angle plays the role of an effective gauge field. When the twisting distribution is odd symmetric, the optical beams move along mirror-symmetric trajectories according to their helicity. Connection of this volumetric PSHE with the geometric phase and the Kapitza effect is elucidated.