Open AccessSpin-splitting in a reflective beam off an antiferromagnetic surface
Author(s) -
Shufang Fu,
Xiang-Guang Wang,
Yuqi Zhang,
Sheng Zhou,
Xuan-Zhang Wang
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.435243
Subject(s) - plane of incidence , spin (aerodynamics) , spins , physics , superposition principle , optics , condensed matter physics , zero field splitting , antiferromagnetism , spin polarization , plane wave , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics , electron
A linearly-polarized radiation can be considered as the superposition of two circularly-polarized components with the same propagating direction and opposite spins. We investigated the splitting between the two spin-components in the reflective beam off the antiferromagnetic surface. The gyromagnetism and surface impedance mismatch cause the difference between the spatial shifts of the two spin-components, i.e., the spin-splitting. We analytically achieved the in- and out-plane shift-expressions of either spin-component for two typical linearly-polarized incident beams (i.e., the p- and s-incidences). In the case of no gyromagnetism, we obtained very simple shift-expressions, which indicate a key role played by the gyromagnetism or the surface impedance-mismatch in spin-splitting. Based on a FeF 2 crystal, the spin-splitting distance was calculated. The spin-splitting distance is much longer for the p-incidence than the s-incidence, and meanwhile the in-plane splitting distance is much larger than the out-plane one. The gyromagnetism plays a key role for the in-plane spin-splitting and the surface impedance-mismatch is a crucial factor for the out-plane spin-splitting distance. The results are useful for the manipulation of infrared radiations and infrared optical detection.