Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026

Direct Imaging of Laser-driven Ultrafast Molecular Rotation
Published on: February 4, 2017
Time-varying optical spin-orbit Hall effect in tightly focused femtosecond optical field
Abstract:
The spin-orbit Hall effect (HE) is dominated by the law of conservation of angular momentum of a beam and is highly significant in light-matter interactions. The electromagnetic field, phase, topological structure, and spin-orbit HE of an azimuthally polarized vortex pulse beam in a tightly focused system are studied theoretically here. Calculations show that the focal field has ultrafast bright-dark alternating characteristics and a distorted phase distribution. Furthermore, the time evolution of the polarization singularity in the focused light field is explained using Stokes parameters. Importantly, the spin-orbit HE of the pulsed beam is shown to be time-varying in a tightly focused system. This time-varying spin-orbit HE is particularly sensitive to the pulse width and central wavelength. Our method has important applications in particle manipulation.
Related Concept Videos
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Overview
Atomic Nuclei: Larmor Precession Frequency
NMR Spectroscopy: Spin–Spin Coupling
Spin–Spin Coupling Constant: Overview
Qualitatively, any spin plus-half nucleus polarizes the spins of its electrons to the minus-half state. Consequently, the paired electron in the hydrogen–carbon bond must...
The Hall Effect

