Spin Hall effect of light in metallic reflection
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Spectral and Angle-Resolved Magneto-Optical Characterization of Photonic Nanostructures
Published on: November 21, 2019
N Hermosa1, A M Nugrowati, Andrea Aiello
1Huygens Laboratory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. hermosa@physics.leidenuniv.nl
Abstract:
We report the first measurement of the spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) on an air-metal interface. The SHEL is a polarization-dependent out-of-plane shift on the reflected beam. For the case of metallic reflection with a linearly polarized incident light, both the spatial and angular variants of the shift are observed and are maximum for -45°/45° polarization, but zero for pure s and p polarization. For an incoming beam with circular polarization states however, only the spatial out-of-plane shift is present.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Hall Effect
Photoelectric Effect
Photoluminescence: Fluorescence and Phosphorescence
A pair of electrons in a...
Magnetic Damping
If, however, the bob is a slotted metal plate, the magnet produces a much smaller effect. When a slotted metal plate enters the field, an emf is induced by the change in flux; however, it is less effective because the slots limit the...
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
Rolling Without Slipping

