Deep-subwavelength features of photonic skyrmions in a confined electromagnetic field with orbital angular momentum

Du, Luping; Yang, Aiping; Zayats, Anatoly V.; Yuan, Xiaocong

doi:10.1038/s41567-019-0487-7

Cited by 254 publications

(215 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…This method of inducing optically powered skyrmion motions and robust control of their collective behavior is the focus of our present study. Since skyrmions can be created in light [20][21][22][23] and in material systems like liquid crystals and magnets , which, as we show, can be highly sensitive to light, our study may potentially lead to a possibility of exploring the interplay between the skyrmionic structures in light and in the condensed matter systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Light-controlled skyrmions and torons as reconfigurable particles

et al. 2019

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Topological solitons, such as skyrmions, arise in field theories of systems ranging from Bose-Einstein condensates to optics, particle physics, and cosmology, but they are rarely accessible experimentally. Chiral nematic liquid crystals provide a platform to study skyrmions because of their natural tendency to form twisted structures arising from the lack of mirror symmetry at the molecular level. However, large-scale dynamic control and technological utility of skyrmions remain limited. Combining experiments and numerical modeling of chiral liquid crystals with optically controlled helical pitch, we demonstrate that low-intensity, unstructured light can control stability, dimensions, interactions, spatial patterning, self-assembly, and dynamics of these topological solitons.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Light-controlled skyrmions and torons as reconfigurable particles

et al. 2019

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“…In particular, the strong spin-orbit interactions between the evanescent waves and interfaces in the optical near-field lead to the discovery of the optical transvers spin [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] and the photonic analog to the quantum spin Hall effect [34][35][36], which have potential in the applications of directional scattering and transportation of photons, nanometrology [37][38][39], chiral quantum optics [40] and spin-based robust optical surface [41][42][43][44]. Very recently, by considering the spin and complex vectorial properties of surface electromagnetic wave, a photonic skyrmion [45], which has chiral spin texture in line with the topological soliton named from the physicist Tony Skyrme, was discovered and attracts wide interests in the field of spin and topological optics. Most of the relevant research until now has focused on the topological number and the experimental measurement of photonic skyrmion [46][47][48][49][50]; and its spin and orbital features still need to be explained explicitly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strong spin–orbit interaction of photonic skyrmions at the general optical interface

Shi

Yuan

2020

Nanophotonics

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Photonic skyrmions have applications in many areas, including the vectorial and chiral optics, optical manipulation, deep-subwavelength imaging and nanometrology. Much effort has been focused on the experimental characterization of photonic skyrmions. Here, we give an insight into the spin and orbital features of photonic skyrmions constructed by the p-polarized and s-polarized surface waves at an interface with various electric and magnetic properties by analyzing the continuity of chirality, energy flow and momentum densities through the electric and magnetic interface. The continuity of chirality density indicates that the photonic skyrmion has a property of the optical transverse spin. Most importantly, the continuity of energy flow and momentum densities results in four spin–orbit interaction quantities, which indicate the gradient of electric polarizability or permeability governs the spin–orbit interaction of photonic skyrmions and leads to the discontinuity and even the reversal of spin orientation through the optical interface. Our investigations on the spin–orbit properties of photonic skyrmions, which can give rise to the spin-dependent force and topological unidirectional transportation, is thorough and can be extended to other classical wave, such as acoustic and fluid waves. The findings help in understanding the spin–orbit feature of photonic topological texture and in constructing further optical manipulation, sensing, quantum and topological techniques.

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“…[3] By contrast, they can strongly couple with each other in nonparaxial fields. [4] Actually, spin-orbit interactions (SOIs) are universal phenomena in optics and photonics especially at the subwavelength scales, such as the spin-Hall effects in inhomogeneous media and at optical interfaces, [5][6][7][8] In this paper, we theoretically study the interplay between SAM and OAM in tightly focused higher-order Poincaré sphere (HOP) beams that feature vortex phase front and higher-order polarization states simultaneously. [35][36][37] The electric field distributions and local AM densities in the focused fields are analyzed, demonstrating the occurrence of both SOC and OSC for the focused HOP beams.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interplay between Spin and Orbital Angular Momenta in Tightly Focused Higher‐Order Poincaré Sphere Beams

Liu

Wang

et al. 2020

Annalen der Physik

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Spin-orbit interactions (SOIs) of light in tight focusing systems have gained much attention due to the potential applications in optical trapping and microscopy. SOI effects strongly affect the distributions and properties of focal fields, which are determined by the polarization and spatial degrees of freedom of incoming light. Remarkably, structured light fields exhibit SOI phenomena with complex behaviors. Here the SOIs in the tightly focused higher-order Poincaré sphere beams that simultaneously contain vortex phase front and higher polarization orders are theoretically studied. The interplay between spin and orbital angular momenta in the focused field is revealed, and the amount of spin-orbit conversion is found to be determined by the angular momentum of the incident field and the focusing system. In particular, based on the superposition of two circular polarization vortex bases, a general description of the interplay between spin and orbital parties is provided, paving a way to arbitrarily controlling the SOIs in nonparaxial fields. The findings are expected to deepen the understanding of SOIs that play a critical role in classical and quantum optics.

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Deep-subwavelength features of photonic skyrmions in a confined electromagnetic field with orbital angular momentum

Cited by 254 publications

References 34 publications

Light-controlled skyrmions and torons as reconfigurable particles

Light-controlled skyrmions and torons as reconfigurable particles

Strong spin–orbit interaction of photonic skyrmions at the general optical interface

Interplay between Spin and Orbital Angular Momenta in Tightly Focused Higher‐Order Poincaré Sphere Beams

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