Generalized analytic formula for spin Hall effect of light: shift enhancement and interface independence

The spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) is the microscopic spin-dependent splitting of light at an optical interface. Whereas the spin Hall shift under linearly polarized light is well-formulated, studies on the SHEL under elliptically or circularly polarized light have primarily relied on numerical computation. In this work, an explicit analytic formula for the spin Hall shift is derived under arbitrarily polarized incidence. Furthermore, from this explicit expression, we demonstrate that the spin Hall shift can be enhanced at any incident angle by using polarization degree of freedom and is independent of the Fresnel coefficients of an interface under circularly polarized light. The analytic formula will help us understand the SHEL under general polarization intuitively and realize unprecedented modulation of the SHEL.

Automated summary

In this study, an explicit analytic formula for the spin Hall shift under arbitrarily polarized incidence is derived, and it is demonstrated that the spin Hall shift can be enhanced by using polarization degree of freedom. This analytic formula helps us understand the spin Hall effect under general polarization and achieve unprecedented modulation.