Near-Field Observation of the Photonic Spin Hall Effect

The photonic spin Hall effect, referring to the spatial separation of photons with opposite spins due to spin-orbit interactions, has enabled potential for various spin-sensitive applications and devices. Here, using scattering-type near-field scanning optical microscopy, we observe spin-orbit interactions introduced by a subwavelength semiring antenna integrated in a plasmonic circuit. Clear evidence of unidirectional excitation of surface plasmon polaritons is obtained by direct comparison of the amplitude- and phase-resolved near-field maps of the plasmonic nanocircuit under excitation with photons of opposite spin states coupled to a plasmonic nanoantenna. We present details of the antenna design and experimental methods to investigate the spatial variation of complex electromagnetic fields in a spin-sensitive plasmonic circuit. The reported findings offer valuable insights into the generation, characterization, and application of the photonic spin Hall effect in photonic integrated circuits for future and emerging spin-selective nanophotonic systems.