Tunable spin splitting of Laguerre–Gaussian beams in graphene metamaterials

Abstract

Optical spin splitting has attracted significant attention owing to its potential applications in quantum information and precision metrology. However, it is typically small and cannot be controlled efficiently. Here, we enhance the spin splitting by transmitting higher-order Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beams through graphene metamaterial slabs. The interaction between LG beams and metamaterial results in an orbital-angular-momentum- (OAM) dependent spin splitting. The upper bound of the OAM-dependent spin splitting is found, which varies with the incident OAM and beam waist. Moreover, the spin splitting can be flexibly tuned by modulating the Fermi energy of the graphene sheets. This tunable spin splitting has potential applications in the development of spin-based applications and the manipulation of mid-infrared waves.