Optical vortex spin-orbit control of refractive index in iron garnets

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2025

Abstract

The interaction between light’s angular momentum (AM) and material systems has unlocked new avenues in structured photonics, including in magneto-optical (MO) materials. While spin angular momentum (SAM) effects in MO systems are well-established, orbital angular momentum (OAM) introduces novel opportunities for new nonreciprocal light-matter interactions. We demonstrate a unique optical phenomenon where OAM states undergo state-specific nonreciprocal operation within an MO medium, reducing Faraday rotation. In this study, we derive the perturbation to the Hamiltonian for the electronic transition in the presence of optical OAM. The reduction of Faraday rotation is verified experimentally using OAM Mach-Zehnder interferometry. This effect arises from transverse momentum transfer into the material, inducing spin-orbit coupling (SOC) at a perturbed electronic transition rate. The resulting OAM-dependent optical SOC modifies the material’s refractive index, directly linking structured light and MO response. Our findings extend previous observations of paraxial beams and reveal a deeper fundamental mechanism governing OAM-driven nonreciprocal interactions. These insights pave the way for OAM-selective nonreciprocal photonic devices, chiral optical logic, quantum memory elements, and ultrafast spintronic architectures. This work advances MO integration with structured light for enhanced control over photonic and spintronic systems.

Publication Title

Optical Materials Express

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