Enhanced photonic spin Hall effect and its sensing application via optical Tamm state based on nanocomposites

Abstract

In this contribution, by combining the nanocomposite with distributed Bragg reflector, a simple multilayer structure to enhance the photonic spin Hall effect (PSHE) via optical Tamm state (OTS) for both horizontal (H) and vertical (V) polarized lights is presented. The structural parameters of nanocomposite layer (e.g., thickness and filling factor) have a significant influence on PSHE. The maximal spin shifts of 16.2 and 17.8 μm can be achieved for H and V polarized lights, respectively, which are attributed to strong excitation of OTS. Moreover, the spin shift is extremely sensitive to the refractive index changes of sensing medium, and a gas sensor with superior sensing performance is theoretically proposed for both H and V polarized beams. These findings provide an effective method to enhance the PSHE for both H and V polarized lights and therefore open an opportunity for developing PSHE refractive index sensors.