Optical singularity dynamics and spin-orbit interaction due to a normal-incident optical beam reflected at a plane dielectric interface

Abstract

The degenerate case of normal incidence and reflection of an optical beam (both paraxial and nonparaxial) at a plane isotropic dielectric interface, which is azimuthally symmetric in terms of the momentum-spatial variation of Fresnel coefficients but not in terms of the fundamental polarization inhomogeneity of the incident field, requires in-depth analyses. In this paper, we use the reflection and transmission coefficient matrix formalism to derive an exact field expression of a normal-reflected diverging beam. The availability of the exact field information allows controlled variations of the system parameters, leading to significant dynamics of phase and polarization singularities hitherto unanticipated in the literature. We carry out a detailed exploration of these dynamics in our simulated system, and also verify them experimentally by using an appropriate setup. We then use Barnett's formalism to determine the associated orbital angular momentum (OAM) fluxes, leading to a subtle interpretation and mathematical characterization of spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in the system. Our paper thus represents a nontrivial unification of the most fundamental electromagnetic reflection and transmission problem at a plane dielectric interface and the emerging areas of optical singularity dynamics with their understanding in terms of OAM flux and SOI. The normal-incidence--retroreflection geometry being especially amenable to applications, these beam-field phenomena are anticipated to have applications in interface characterization, particle rotation and manipulation, and other nano-optical processes.