Spin-symmetry breaking in nanoscale structures caused by spin-orbit interaction, leading to a new branch in optics – spinoptics is presented. The spin-based effects offer an unprecedented ability to control light and its polarization state in nanometer-scale optical devices, thereby facilitating a variety of applications related to nano-photonics. The direct observation of optical spin-Hall effect that appears when a wave carrying spin angular momentum (AM) interacts with plasmonic nanostructures is introduced. A plasmonic nanostructure exhibits a crucial role of an AM selection rule in a light-surface plasmon scattering process. A spin-dependent dispersion splitting was obtained in a structure consisting of a coupled thermal antenna array. The observed effects inspire one to investigate other spin-based plasmonic effects and to propose a new generation of optical elements for nano-photonic applications.

Date Published: 9 October 2012
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 8457, Plasmonics: Metallic Nanostructures and Their Optical Properties X, 84571J (9 October 2012); doi: 10.1117/12.930941

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8457:
Plasmonics: Metallic Nanostructures and Their Optical Properties X
Mark I. Stockman, Editor(s)