Abstract:
Chirality is inherent to a broad range of systems, including solid-state and wave physics. The precession (chiral motion) of the magnetic moments in magnetic materials, forming spin waves, has various properties and many applications in magnetism and spintronics. We show that an optical analogue of spin waves can be generated in arrays of plasmonic nanohelices. Such optical waves arise from the interaction between twisted helix eigenmodes carrying spin and orbital angular momenta. We demonstrate that these optical spin waves are reflected at the interface between successive domains of enantiomeric nanohelices, forming a heterochiral lattice regardless of the wave propagation direction within the lattice. Optical spin waves may be applied in techniques involving photon spin, ranging from data processing and storage to quantum optics.
摘要:
手性是各种系统固有的,包括固态和波物理。磁性材料中磁矩的进动(手性运动),形成自旋波,在磁学和自旋电子学中具有各种性质和许多应用。我们证明可以在等离子体纳米螺旋阵列中产生自旋波的光学模拟。这种光波是由携带自旋和轨道角动量的扭曲螺旋本征模式之间的相互作用引起的。我们证明了这些光学自旋波在对映体纳米螺旋的连续域之间的界面处反射,形成异手性晶格,而与晶格内的波传播方向无关。光学自旋波可以应用在涉及光子自旋的技术中,从数据处理和存储到量子光学。