We will present the experimental and theoretical studies of the photonic spin-orbit coupling effects facilitated by a nanoparticle near a planar surface. Due to spin-orbit coupling, circularly polarized light of opposite handedness may take different trajectories when interacting with such a system, e.g. impinging on a polarizable particle placed above a metallic surface supporting surface plasmon polaritons or other guided modes. The transverse spin carried by surface plasmons is intimately linked to the polarisation of light after their scattering on nanostructures. Circular polarizations of opposite handedness are radiated into mirror-symmetric directions, dependent on the surface plasmon propagation direction. This spin-orbit coupling effect is an optical analogue of the inverse spin Hall effect and has important implications for optical forces, optical information processing, quantum optical technology and topological surface metrology.
|