The internal energy flow in a light beam can be divided into the "orbital" and "spin" parts, associated with the spatial and polarization degrees of freedom of light. In contrast to the orbital one, experimental observation of the spin flow seems problematic because it is converted into an orbital flow upon tight focusing of the beam, usually applied for energy flow detection by means of the mechanical action upon probe particles. We propose a two-beam interference technique that results in an appreciable level of spin flow in moderately focused beams and detection of the orbital motion of probe particles within a field where the transverse energy circulation is associated exclusively with the spin flow. This result can be treated as the first demonstration of mechanical action of the spin flow of a light field.
Non-spherical dielectric microparticles were suspended in a water-filled cell and exposed to a coherent Gaussian light beam with controlled state of polarization. When the beam polarization is linear, the particles were trapped at certain off-axial position within the beam cross section. After switching to the right (left) circular polarization, the particles performed spinning motion in agreement with the angular momentum imparted by the field, but they were involved in an orbital rotation around the beam axis as well, which in previous works [Y. Zhao et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 073901 (2007)] was treated as evidence for the spin-to orbital angular momentum conversion. Since in our realization the moderate focusing of the beam excluded the possibility for such a conversion, we consider the observed particle behavior as a demonstration of the macroscopic "spin energy flow" predicted by the theory of inhomogeneously polarized paraxial beams [A. Bekshaev et al, J. Opt. 13, 053001 (2011)].
Experimental interference modelling of the effects of colouring of a beam traversing a light-scattering medium is presented. It is shown that the result of colouring of the beam at the output of the medium depends on the magnitudes of the phase delays of the singly forward scattered partial signals. The colouring mechanism has for the first time experimentally been illustrated for a forward propagating beam through a light-scattering medium. This is showed in video-fragments of the interferograms recorded within the zero interference fringe with a gradual change of the path difference of the interfering polychromatic wave trains. Spectral investigation of the effects of colouring has been carried out using a solution of liquid crystal in a polymer matrix. The amplitude ratio of the non-scattered and the singly forward scattered interfering components significantly affects the colour intensity. It has further been established that the spectral content of the illuminating beam strongly influences the colour of the resulting radiation.
Abstract:We present the computer simulation results of the spatial distribution of the Poynting vector and illustrate motion of micro and nanoparticles in spatially inhomogeneously polarized fields. The influence of phase relations and the degree of mutual coherence of superimposing waves in the arrangements of two-wave and four-wave superposition on the characteristics of the microparticle's motion has been analyzed. The prospects of studying temporal coherence using the proposed approach are made. For the first time, the possibility of diagnostics of optical currents in liquids caused by polarization characteristics of an optical field alone, using nanoscale metallic particles has been shown experimentally.
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