Mixing the Light Spin with Plasmon Orbit by Nonlinear Light-Matter Interaction in Gold

Transformation of light carrying spin angular momentum (SAM) to optical field vortices carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been of wide interest in recent years. The interactions between two optical fields, each carrying one of those degrees of freedom, and furthermore, the transfer of the r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPhysical review. X Vol. 9; no. 2; p. 021031
Main Authors Spektor, G., Kilbane, D., Mahro, A. K., Hartelt, M., Prinz, E., Aeschlimann, M., Orenstein, M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published College Park American Physical Society 15.05.2019
Subjects
Absorptivity
Angular momentum
Circular polarization
Earth axis
Electron clouds
Electron emission
Electron transitions
Electrons
Engraving
Excitation
Excitation spectra
Gold
Light
Light beams
Photoelectric emission
Photon absorption
Photons
Polaritons
Spatial distribution
Spectroscopy
Spinning (materials)
Subtraction
Surface chemistry
Surface waves
Vortices
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Summary:Transformation of light carrying spin angular momentum (SAM) to optical field vortices carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been of wide interest in recent years. The interactions between two optical fields, each carrying one of those degrees of freedom, and furthermore, the transfer of the resulting angular momentum product to matter are seldom discussed. Here, we measure the interaction between 3D light carrying axial SAM and 2D plasmon-polariton vortices carrying high-order transverse OAM. The interaction is mediated by two-photon absorption within a gold surface, imprinting the resulting angular-momentum mixing into matter by excitation of electrons that are photo-emitted into vacuum. Interestingly, the spatial distribution of the emitted electrons carries the signature of a subtraction of the spin from the orbit angular momenta. We show experimentally and theoretically that the absorptive nature of this interaction leads to both single and double photon-plasmon angular momentum mixing processes by one- and two- photon interactions. Our results demonstrate high order angular momenta light-matter interactions, provide a glimpse into specific electronic excitation routes, and may be applied in future electronic sources and coherent control.
ISSN:2160-3308
2160-3308
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevX.9.021031