Spin Angular Momentum Research Articles

Chirality-induced phonon spin selectivity by elastic spin–orbit interaction

Spin and orbital degrees of freedom are crucial in not only fundamental particles but also classical waves such as optical systems, wherein the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) of light provides new perspectives for manipulating electromagnetic waves. Elastic waves possess similar spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM). However, the elastic counterpart of SOI remains unexplored, even for ubiquitous elastic waveguides (WG). Here, we demonstrate the existence of elastic SOI in helical WG. We prove that the torsion and curvature of helical WG induces synthetic gauge potentials in describing the elastic vibrations. Through analytical theory and simulations, we unveil the interplay among elastic SAM, intrinsic OAM, and extrinsic OAM, impacted by the elastic SOI. Importantly, results show that elastic SOI can introduce the Chirality-Induced Phonon Spin Selectivity. These findings advance our understanding of angular momentum physics in elastic waves and enable practical strategies for wave manipulation.

On the non-dissipative orbital evolution of a binary system comprising non-compact components with misaligned spin and orbital angular momenta

Abstract In this Paper we determine the non-dissipative tidal evolution of a close binary system with an arbitrary eccentricity in which the spin angular momenta of both components is misaligned with the orbital angular momentum. We focus on the situation where the orbital angular momentum dominates the spin angular momenta and so remains at small inclination to the conserved total angular momentum. Torques arising from rotational distortion and tidal distortion taking account of Coriolis forces are included. This extends the previous work of Ivanov & Papaloizou relaxing the limitation resulting from the assumption that one of the components is compact and has zero spin angular momentum. Unlike the above study, the evolution of spin-orbit inclination angles is driven by both types of torque. We develop a simple analytic theory describing the evolution of orbital angles and compare it with direct numerical simulations. We find that the tidal torque prevails near ’critical curves’ in parameter space where the time-averaged apsidal precession rate is close to zero. In the limit of small spin, these curves exist only for systems that have at least one component with retrograde rotation. As in our previous work, we find solutions close to these curves for which the apsidal angle librates. As noted there, this could result in oscillation between prograde and retrograde states. We consider the application of our approach to systems with parameters similar to those of the misaligned binary DI Herc.

Systematic bias due to mismodeling precessing binary black hole ringdown

Accurate waveform modeling is crucial for parameter estimation in gravitational wave astronomy, impacting our understanding of source properties and the testing of general relativity. The precession of orbital and spin angular momenta in binary black hole (BBH) systems with misaligned spins presents a complex challenge for gravitational waveform modeling. Current precessing BBH waveform models employ a coprecessing frame, which precesses along with the binary. In this paper, we investigate a source of bias stemming from the mismodeling of ringdown frequency in the coprecessing frame. We find that this mismodeling of the coprecessing frame ringdown frequency introduces systematic biases in parameter estimation, for high-mass systems in particular, and in the inspiral-merger-ringdown (IMR)-consistency test of general relativity. Employing the waveform model henom, we conduct an IMR-consistency test using a Fisher matrix analysis across parameter space, as well as full injected signal parameter estimation studies. Our results show that this mismodeling particularly affects BBH systems with high-mass ratios, high-spin magnitudes, and highly inclined spins. These findings suggest inconsistencies for all waveform models which do not address this issue. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Magnetic Monopole Phenomenology at Future Hadron Colliders

Abstract In the grand tapestry of Physics, the magnetic monopole (MM) is a holy grail. Therefore, numerous efforts are underway in search of this hypothetical particle at CMS, ATLAS, and MoEDAL experiments of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by employing different production mechanisms. The cornerstone of our comprehension of monopoles lies in Dirac’s theory which outlines their characteristics and dynamics. Within this theoretical framework, an effective U(1) gauge field theory, derived from conventional models, delineates the interaction between spin magnetically-charged fields and ordinary photons under electric–magnetic dualization. The focus of this paper is the production of MMs through Drell–Yan (DY) and the Photon-Fusion (PF) mechanisms to generate velocity-dependent scalar, fermionic, and vector monopoles of spin angular momentum 0 , 1 2 , 1 respectively at LHC. A computational study compares the monopole pair-production cross-sections for both methods at various center-of-mass energies ( s ) with different magnetic dipole moments. The comparison of kinematic distributions of monopoles at Parton and reconstructed level are demonstrated for both DY and PF mechanisms. Extracted results showcase how modern machine-learning techniques can be used to study the production of MMs at the future proton-proton particle colliders at 100 TeV. We demonstrate the observability of MMs against the most relevant Standard Model background using multivariate methods such as Boosted Decision Trees, Likelihood, and Multilayer Perceptron. This study compares the performance of these classifiers with traditional cut-based and counting approaches, proving the superiority of our methods.

Electron-cloud alignment dynamics induced by an intense X-ray free-electron laser pulse: a case study on atomic argon

In an intense X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) pulse, atoms are sequentially ionised by multiple X-ray photons. Photoionisation generally induces an alignment of the electron cloud of the produced atomic ion regarding its orbital-angular-momentum projections. However, how the alignment evolves during sequential X-ray multi-photon ionisation accompanied by decay processes has been unexplored. Here we present a theoretical prediction of the time evolution of the electron-cloud alignment of argon ions induced by XFEL pulses. To this end, we calculate state-resolved ionisation dynamics of atomic argon interacting with an intense linearly polarised X-ray pulse, which generates ions in a wide range of charge states with non-zero orbital- and spin-angular momenta. Employing time-resolved alignment parameters, we predict the existence of non-trivial alignment dynamics during intense XFEL pulses. This implies that even if initially the atomic electron cloud is perfectly spherically symmetric, X-ray multi-photon ionisation can lead to noticeable reshaping of the electron cloud.

Steering Nonlinear Chiral Valley Photons Through Optical Orbit–Orbit Coupling

AbstractTwo‐dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides feature a direct tunable bandgap and robust spin‐valley coupling, offering an additional valley degree of freedom for information carriers. While optical spin‐orbit coupling has traditionally facilitated valley manipulation, on‐chip control of nonlinear valley photons remains elusive. Here, the directional coupling of nonlinear chiral valley photons through optical orbit‐orbit coupling in monolayer tungsten disulfide at room temperature is demonstrated. The chirality of nonlinear valley photons is governed by the spin angular momentum of the pump light, adhering to nonlinear selection rules. Importantly, the coupling direction is controlled by the orbital angular momentum of the pump light, facilitated by the orbital momentum flux. This approach not only provides a novel method for manipulating the valley degree of freedom but also enhances the flexibility of directing valley photon emission and on‐chip routing. These developments hold promising prospects for advanced valley optoelectronic devices.

Optomechanical motions of gold dimer’s spin, rotation and revolution manipulated by bessel beam

The optomechanical motion of a gold nanoparticle (GNP) dimer—a pair of optically bound GNPs—in fluid, manipulated by a Bessel beam, is theoretically studied using the multiple multipole (MMP) method. Since a Bessel beam possesses orbital angular momentum (OAM) and spin angular momentum (SAM) simultaneously, complicated rigid-body motions of the dimer can be induced. The mechanism involves the equilibrium between the optical force with the reactive drag force exerted by the fluid. Our results demonstrate that the dimer rotates around its center of mass (COM), while the COM performs an orbital revolution around the optical axis. Additionally, each individual GNP undergoes spinning. The directions of the GNPs’ spin and the orbital revolution of COM depend on the handedness and the order (topological charge) of Bessel beam, respectively. Nevertheless, the rotation direction of the dimer depends on the size of GNP. In the case of a smaller dimer, the direction of dimer’s rotation with respect to the COM is consistent with the handedness of the light. Conversely, a larger dimer performs a reverse rotation, accompanied by a precession during the orbital revolution. There are multiple turning points in the radius of the GNP for the alternating rotation of the dimer caused by positive or negative optical torque. Our finding may provide an insight to the optomechanical manipulation of optical vortexes on the motions of GNP clusters.

The Stellar Bar–Dark Matter Halo Connection in the TNG50 Simulations

Stellar bars in disk galaxies grow as stars in near-circular orbits lose angular momentum to their environments, including their dark matter (DM) halo, and transform into elongated bar orbits. This angular momentum exchange during galaxy evolution hints at a connection between bar properties and the DM halo spin λ, the dimensionless form of DM angular momentum. We investigate the connection between halo spin λ and galaxy properties in the presence/absence of stellar bars, using the cosmological magnetohydrodynamic TNG50 simulations at multiple redshifts (0 < z r < 1). We determine the bar strength (or bar amplitude, A 2/A 0), using Fourier decomposition of the face-on stellar density distribution. We determine the halo spin for barred and unbarred galaxies (0 < A 2/A 0 < 0.7) in the center of the DM halo, close to the galaxy’s stellar disk. At z r = 0, there is an anticorrelation between halo spin and bar strength. Strongly barred galaxies (A 2/A 0 > 0.4) reside in DM halos with low spin and low specific angular momentum at their centers. In contrast, unbarred/weakly barred galaxies (A 2/A 0 < 0.2) exist in halos with higher central spin and higher specific angular momentum. The anticorrelation is due to the barred galaxies’ higher DM mass and lower angular momentum than the unbarred galaxies at z r = 0, as a result of galaxy evolution. At high redshifts (z r = 1), all galaxies have higher halo spin compared to those at lower redshifts (z r = 0), with a weak anticorrelation for galaxies having A 2/A 0 > 0.2. The formation of DM bars in strongly barred systems highlights how angular momentum transfer to the halo can influence its central spin.

Transverse optical torque from the magnetic spin angular momentum

Abstract We report a transverse optical torque exerted on a conventional isotropic spherical particle in a direction perpendicular to that of the illuminating wave propagation. By using full-wave simulations and deriving an analytical expression of the transverse optical torque for particle of arbitrary size, the origin of this transverse optical torque is traced exclusively to the magnetic part of the spin angular momentum, regardless of the size and composition of the illuminated particle. To our surprise, for a non-magnetic dielectric particle, the transverse optical torque is found to originate mainly from the magnetic response of the particle, even when the particle size is much smaller than the illuminating wavelength. This is contrary to the general intuition that the electric response of a non-magnetic dielectric particle dominates its magnetic response in the mechanical effect of light, especially in the Rayleigh limit.

Spin angular momentum and optical chirality of Poincaré vector vortex beams

Abstract The optical chirality and spin angular momentum of structured scalar vortex beams has been intensively studied in recent years. The pseudoscalar topological charge $\ell$ of these beams is responsible for their unique properties. Constructed from a superposition of scalar vortex beams with topological charges $\ell_\text{A}$ and $\ell_\text{B}$, cylindrical vector vortex beams are higher-order Poincar'e modes which possess a spatially inhomogeneous polarization distribution. Here we highlight the highly tailorable and exotic spatial distributions of the optical spin and chirality densities of these higher-order structured beams under both paraxial (weak focusing) and non-paraxial (tight focusing) conditions. Our analytical theory can yield the spin angular momentum and optical chirality of each point on any higher-order or hybrid-order Poincar'e sphere. It is shown that the tunable Pancharatnam topological charge $\ell_{\text{P}} = (\ell_\text{A} + \ell_\text{B})/2$ and polarization index $m = (\ell_\text{B} -\ell_\text{A})/2$ of the vector vortex beam plays a decisive role in customizing their spin and chirality spatial distributions. We also provide the correct analytical equations to describe a focused, non-paraxial scalar Bessel beam.

Angular momentum properties of a circularly polarized vortex beam in the paraxial optical systems

The angular momentum (AM) properties of circularly polarized vortex beams (CPVBs) in two paraxial optical systems [free space and a gradient-index (GRIN) fiber] are demonstrated. The transverse light intensity, the longitudinal light intensity, the phase of the longitudinal electric field, the kinetic momentum, the total spin AM (SAM), the transverse-type SAM (t-SAM), the longitudinal-type SAM (l-SAM), and the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of CPVBs in the two paraxial optical systems are characterized. Spin-orbit coupling of CPVBs is studied during propagation in free space and in a GRIN fiber. When the OAM and the SAM of a CPVB have the same direction of rotation and when they have opposite directions of rotation, the spin-orbit coupling exhibits different characteristics in free space and in the GRIN fiber.

Harnessing synergy of spin and orbital currents in heavy metal/ferromagnet multilayers

Spin-orbitronics, exploiting electron spin and/or orbital angular momentum, offers a powerful route to energy-efficient spintronic applications. Recent research on orbital currents in light metals broadens the scope of spin-orbit torque (SOT). However, distinguishing and manipulating orbital torque in heavy metal/ferromagnet (HM/FM) remains a challenge, limiting the promising synergy of spin and orbital currents. Here, we design a HM/FM/FMSOC heterostructure and experimentally separate orbital torque contribution from spin torque by utilizing the distinct diffusion length of spin and orbital currents. Furthermore, we achieve the synergy of spin and orbital torques by controlling their relative strength, and obtain a 110% improvement in torque efficiency compared to the representative Pt/Co bilayer. Our findings not only contribute to a deeper understanding of SOT mechanisms and orbital current transport in HM/FM multilayers, but also highlight the promising prospect of orbital and spin torque synergy for optimizing the efficiency of next-generation spintronic devices.

Unconventional exchange bias and enhanced spin pumping efficiency due to diluted magnetic oxide at the Co/ZnO interface

Exchange bias (EB) is normally created by the interfacial exchange coupling at a ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (FM/AFM) interface. FM/AFM interfaces have also been proved to perform enhanced spin angular momentum transfer efficiency in spin pumping (SP), compared with typical FM/nonmagnetic interfaces. Here, we report an unexpected EB and enhanced SP between a ferromagnet and semiconductor. Considerable EB has been observed in Co films grown on ZnO single crystal due to the interface antiferromagnetism of the Zn1−xCoxO (x depends on the Co solubility limit in ZnO) layer. Moreover, SP measurements demonstrate a giant spin pumping efficiency at the Co/ZnO interface with a bump (spin mixing conductance Geff↑↓= 28 nm−2) around the blocking temperature TB ∼ 75 K. The enhanced SP is further confirmed by inverse spin Hall effect measurements and the spin Hall angle θISHE of Zn1−xCoxO is estimated to be 0.011. The bound magnetic polarons with s–d exchange interaction between donor electrons and magnetic cation ions in Zn1−xCoxO play a key role in the formation of antiferromagnetism with giant Geff↑↓. Our work provides a new insight into spin physics at FM/semiconducting interfaces.

Non-uniform phase distribution of a tightly focused elliptically polarized vortex beam

Abstract Tight focusing of elliptically polarized vortex beams has been previously studied for optical manipulation, optical information encoding, and so on. Still, there is a lack of research on the status of the phase distribution on the focal plane. In this study, we found that the phase distribution of a tightly focused elliptically polarized vortex beam is non-uniform, i.e., the phase distribution exhibits flatter and steeper regions due to the elliptical polarization of the input vortex beam. It is mentioned that the phase non-uniformity was related to the ellipticity of the polarization of the incident beam. Furthermore, we analyzed the intensity and phase distribution of a tightly focused elliptically polarized vortex beam. We found that the spin angular momentum was converted to the orbital angular momentum because the topological charge of the output beam was greater than that of the input beam. The non-uniform phase distribution of a tightly focused elliptically polarized vortex beam enables control over light–matter interaction, leading to advancements in optical tweezers, quantum information processing, and super-resolution microscopy.

Elastic spin angular momentum of zero-order flexural mode in thin rod system

The exploration of elastic wave behaviors in solid materials has revealed their intricate topological properties in recent years, particularly highlighting the significance of a previously underappreciated characteristic known as elastic spin angular momentum. This aspect plays a crucial role in the dynamics of elastic waves. Our research has focused on elucidating the theoretical aspects of elastic spin angular momentum, especially concerning the zero-order flexural mode in thin rod systems. Through meticulous theoretical analysis, we have deduced the nature of this angular momentum and successfully calculated the distribution of spin within these systems. The implications of our findings are substantial, as they contribute to an enhanced physical comprehension of the topological attributes associated with the flexural mode in thin rod structures, thereby offering new avenues for understanding material behaviors and their potential technological applications.

Dynamic properties of the magnetic skyrmion driven by electromagnetic waves with spin angular momentum and orbital angular momentum

Abstract We theoretically studied the dynamic properties of the skyrmion driven by electromagnetic (EM) waves with spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) using micromagnetic simulations. First, the guiding centers of the skyrmion driven by EM waves with SAM, i.e., left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized EM waves, present circular trajectories, while present elliptical trajectories under linear EM waves driving due to the superposition of oppositely polarized wave components. Second, the trajectories of the skyrmion driven by EM waves with OAM demonstrate similar behavior to that driven by linearly polarized EM waves. Because the wave vector intensity varies with the phase for both linearly polarized EM waves and EM waves with OAM, the angular momentum is transferred to the skyrmion non-uniformly, while the angular momentum is transferred to the skyrmion uniformly for left-handed and right-handed circularly polarized EM driving. Third, the dynamic properties of the skyrmion driven by EM waves with both SAM and OAM are investigated. It is found that the dynamic trajectories exhibit more complex behavior due to the contributions or competition of SAM and OAM. We investigate the characteristics of intrinsic gyration modes and frequency-dependent trajectories. Our research may provide insight into the dynamic properties of skyrmion manipulated by EM waves with SAM or OAM and provide a method for controlling skyrmion in spintronic devices.

Flexible focal array engineering with a binary array vector optical field

In recent years, the vector optical field (VOF) with space-variant polarization distribution has attracted great attention due to its unexpected effects and applications in a wide range of areas. The focal engineering plays the most important role, as the focused VOF provides various interesting properties. Here, we propose a kind of binary array VOF (BA-VOF), which can be applied in focal array engineering. The BA-VOF comprises an array of the first base field of radially polarized VOF and an array of the second base field of superposed subfields with phase modulations. We theoretically design and experimentally generate the BA-VOF. Based on the BA-VOF, we present a flexible method to manipulate the amount of the focal spots in the focal array. Moreover, the polarization state and spin angular momentum of each focal spot in the focal spot array can also be flexibly manipulated. The BA-VOF and the flexibly manipulated focal array are inspirable in the area of structured light, which can be applied in regions needing focal engineering, such as optical tweezers, optical fabrication, optical imaging, and so on.

Formation and Controlling of Optical Hopfions in High Harmonic Generation.

Toroidal vortex is a kind of novel and exotic structured light with potential applications in photonic topology and quantum information. Here, we present the study on high harmonic generation from the interaction of the intense toroidal vortices with atoms. We show that the spatial distribution of harmonic spectra reveal unique structures, which are kinds of high-order topological toroidal vortex because of the rotating of the driving fields with transverse orbital angular momentum. Then we show that, by synthesizing the toroidal vortices and optical vortices with longitudinal orbital angular momentum, it is able to generate the optical hopfions in the extreme ultraviolet range, which exhibit a completely different topological property compared with both the driving fields. Harnessing the spin angular momentum selection rules, we further show that one can control the topological texture and channel each harmonic into a single mode of controllable Hopf invariant.

Generation of vectorial vortex beams by a coherently combined laser array

With the superpositions of spin and orbital angular momentum, vectorial vortex beams (VVBs) have attracted great attention in recent years. Many approaches have been developed to generate such beams, but high-power output is not supported. Here, we report the coherent beam combining (CBC) for generating VVBs that are compatible with high-power fiber amplifiers. The laser array is composed of two discrete vortex arrays with left-handed and right-handed circular polarization states. The phase and polarization of each beamlet are manipulated simultaneously. Experimentally, the phase noise in the amplifiers is compensated by the all-fiber internal phase control feedback structure. Quarter-wave plates are employed as polarization state converters. When the system is in the closed loop, a distinct and stable VVB can be obtained in the far-field. This work could provide a significant reference for the future implementation of high-power structured beams.

Optical orbital angular momentum analogy to the Stern-Gerlach experiment.

Symmetry breaking has been shown to reveal interesting phenomena in physical systems. A notable example is the fundamental work of Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach [Stern and Zerlach, Z. Physik9, 349 (1922)10.1007/BF01326983] nearly 100 years ago demonstrating a spin angular momentum (SAM) deflection that differed from classical theory. Here we use non-separable states of SAM and orbital angular momentum (OAM), known as vector vortex modes, to demonstrate how a classical optics analogy can be used to reveal this non-separability, reminiscent of the work carried out by Stern and Gerlach. We show that by implementing a polarization insensitive device to measure the OAM, the SAM states can be deflected to spatially resolved positions.