Vector Light Field Immediately behind an Ideal Spherical Lens: Spin–Orbital Conversion, Additional Optical Vortices, Spin Hall Effect, Magnetization

Abstract

The Richards–Wolf formulas not only adequately describe a light field at a tight focus, but also make it possible to describe a light field immediately behind an ideal spherical lens, that is, on a converging spherical wave front. Knowing all projections of light field strength vectors behind the lens, the longitudinal components of spin and orbital angular momenta (SAM and OAM) can be found. In this case, the longitudinal projection of the SAM immediately behind the lens either remains zero or decreases. This means that the Spin–Orbital Conversion (SOC) effect where part of the “spin goes into orbit” takes place immediately behind the lens. And the sum of longitudinal projections of SAM and OAM is preserved. As for the spin Hall effect, it does not form right behind the lens, but appears as focusing occurs. That is, there is no Hall effect immediately behind the lens, but it is maximum at the focus. This happens because two optical vortices with topological charges (TCs) 2 and −2 and with spins of different signs (with left and right circular polarization) are formed right behind the lens. However, the total spin is zero since amplitudes of these vortices are the same. The amplitude of optical vortices becomes different while focusing and at the focus itself, and therefore regions with spins of different signs (Hall effect) appear. A general form of initial light fields which longitudinal field component is zero at the focus was found. In this case, the SAM vector can only have a longitudinal component that is nonzero. The SAM vector elongated only along the optical axis at the focus is used in magnetization task.