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Ray propagation of circularly polarized light in an inhomogeneous medium: the optical Magnus effect from Maxwell's equations

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Abstract

We derive the ray propagation of circularly polarized light in an inhomogeneous, isotropic and lossless medium, including the first correction to geometrical optics, the optical Magnus (spin Hall) effect. Starting from Maxwell's equations and the eikonal expansion to first order in 1/k01/k_0, we show that the polarization is parallel transported along the ray, identify the Berry connection and curvature of the helicity states, and obtain a ray action in which the Berry phase appears as a correction to the optical path length. This action leads to a Hamiltonian in which the refractive index is evaluated at a position shifted by the Berry connection, Hσ(r,p)=∣p∣−n(r+Aσ(p)/k0)≃∣p∣−n(r)−k0−1∇n⋅Aσ(p)\mathcal H_σ(\mathbf r,\mathbf p)=|\mathbf p|-n(\mathbf r+\mathbf A_σ(\mathbf p)/k_0) \simeq|\mathbf p|-n(\mathbf r)-k_0^{-1}\boldsymbol\nabla n\cdot\mathbf A_σ(\mathbf p). In terms of the physical position, the equations of motion contain the Berry curvature as an anomalous velocity. We give the equivalent non-canonical bracket form, the gauge transformation, and the equivalent time-parametrized formulation with the Hamiltonian ℏω=ℏc∣k∣/n\hbarω=\hbar c|\mathbf k|/n, and we state the approximations involved. The resulting ray equations are compared with analytic and numerical results. A planar interface, the helical ray in a cylindrical medium and the exact conservation of angular momentum provide checks. The formulation is set up for numerical propagation of rays in a medium with a spatially varying refractive index.

Introduction

In geometrical optics, light in a medium of refractive index n(r)n(\mathbf{r}) follows the rays of a Hamiltonian system. The first correction in the wavelength depends on the helicity: right and left circularly polarized waves follow slightly different trajectories. This is the optical Magnus effect, or spin Hall effect of light [2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. In the language of semiclassical dynamics it is an anomalous-velocity term generated by the Berry curvature in momentum space [7].

The effect is described in the literature in two equivalent forms. In the first [3, 6], the equations of motion contain the Berry curvature explicitly. In the second, the helicity is built into the Hamiltonian through the Berry connection, as a shift of the position at which the refractive index is evaluated. In this paper we derive the helicity-dependent ray equations from Maxwell’s equations, show how the two forms are related, make the gauge dependence explicit, state the approximations involved, and set up the equations for the numerical propagation of rays in a medium with a spatially varying refractive index. The effect was predicted by Liberman and Zel’dovich [2], derived for a smoothly inhomogeneous medium by Bliokh and Bliokh [3, 4], and described as a Hall effect of light, with the semiclassical equations of motion of a wave packet, by Onoda, Murakami and Nagaosa [5]; reviews are given in Refs. [8, 9]. The helicity-dependent deflection was observed for helical rays in a glass cylinder [6], where the displacement, of the order of the wavelength per turn of the direction of propagation, accumulates over many turns. The associated Berry phase, the modern form of the Rytov-Vladimirskii law of rotation of the polarization plane along a curved ray [16, 17, 18], was measured in helically coiled optical fibers [19]. At a sharp interface the corresponding effect is the Imbert-Fedorov shift [10, 11].

The same ray equations describe light in gravitational fields [12, 13, 14] and, for light carrying orbital angular momentum, in an optical waveguide [15]; numerical integrations of the helicity-dependent ray equations have been reported for the Schwarzschild spacetime [13] and for such a waveguide [15]. We are not aware of a numerical propagation for a general three-dimensional gradient-index profile.

The new elements of this paper are the following. (i) The parallel-transport law of the polarization and the helicity-dependent ray equations are derived from the first-order Maxwell equations for a medium in which both the permittivity and the permeability vary; the polarization transport and the ray equations depend only on the refractive index, while the impedance enters only on the amplitude. (ii) The relation between the shifted-argument (Berry-connection) Hamiltonian and the Berry-curvature equations of motion is made explicit, including the gauge dependence of the canonical coordinate and the identification of the gauge-invariant physical position of the ray. (iii) The exact conservation law of the total angular momentum is given in the form used for numerical integration, together with a set of analytic tests. (iv) The ray equations are integrated numerically for a three-dimensional gradient-index profile. The equivalent formulations (Lagrangian of the ray path, non-canonical brackets, and frequency as the Hamiltonian) and the detailed comparison with Bliokh’s review [8] are collected in the appendices.

The paper is organized as follows. In Sec. II we write the eikonal expansion of Maxwell’s equations and show that the polarization of the first-order field is parallel transported along the ray. Section III defines the circular polarization basis, the Berry phase, the Berry connection and the Berry curvature. Section IV gives the ray action and the Hamiltonian including the Magnus term, derives the equations of motion in terms of the physical position, and gives the conservation law of the total angular momentum. Section V estimates the size of the effect and discusses the validity of the description, Sec. VI treats a planar interface as a check, and Sec. VII presents the numerical propagation and the tests of the numerical calculation. Section VIII summarizes the results. Appendix A gives the details of the first-order solvability condition, Appendix B the explicit Berry connections and the Frenet-Serret construction, Appendix C the centroid of a wave packet, Appendix D the equivalent formulations of the ray dynamics, and Appendix E the comparison with Bliokh’s review and the analytic results for a helical ray.

Maxwell’s equations and the eikonal expansion

The equations of this section are written in SI units. The ray equations that follow involve only the dimensionless optical momentum p\mathbf{p} and the vacuum wave number k0=ω/ck_0 = \omega/c, and are independent of the system of units.

Maxwell’s equations

Consider a monochromatic electromagnetic wave with time dependence e−iωte^{-i\omega t} propagating through an inhomogeneous, isotropic and lossless medium with position-dependent permittivity ϵ(r)\epsilon(\mathbf{r}) and permeability μ(r)\mu(\mathbf{r}). The Faraday and Ampère equations are

∇×E(r)=iωμ(r)H(r),(1)\nabla\times\mathbf{E}(\mathbf{r}) = i\omega\mu(\mathbf{r}) \mathbf{H}(\mathbf{r}), \tag*{(1)}
∇×H(r)=−iωϵ(r)E(r).(2)\nabla\times\mathbf{H}(\mathbf{r}) = -i\omega\epsilon(\mathbf{r}) \mathbf{E}(\mathbf{r}). \tag*{(2)}

The local refractive index and the local impedance are

n(r)=ϵ(r)μ(r)ϵ0μ0=cϵ(r)μ(r),(3)n(\mathbf{r}) = \sqrt{\frac{\epsilon(\mathbf{r})\mu(\mathbf{r})}{\epsilon_0\mu_0}} = c\sqrt{\epsilon(\mathbf{r})\mu(\mathbf{r})}, \tag*{(3)}
Z(r)=μ(r)ϵ(r),(4)Z(\mathbf{r}) = \sqrt{\frac{\mu(\mathbf{r})}{\epsilon(\mathbf{r})}}, \tag*{(4)}

where c=1/ϵ0μ0c = 1/\sqrt{\epsilon_0\mu_0} is the speed of light in a vacuum. The vacuum wave number is k0=2π/λ0=ω/ck_0 = 2\pi/\lambda_0 = \omega/c. The medium is assumed to vary slowly on the scale of the vacuum wavelength λ0\lambda_0.

Eikonal expansion

To study the short-wavelength limit (k0→∞k_0 \to\infty), using the standard method of geometrical optics [21], we separate the rapidly varying phase (the eikonal ψ(r)\psi(\mathbf{r})) from slowly varying complex vector amplitudes E(r)\mathbf{E}(\mathbf{r}) and H(r)\mathbf{H}(\mathbf{r}):

E(r)=E(r)eik0ψ(r),(5)\mathcal{E}(\mathbf{r}) = \mathbf{E}(\mathbf{r}) e^{ik_0\psi(\mathbf{r})}, \tag*{(5)}
H(r)=H(r)eik0ψ(r).(6)\mathcal{H}(\mathbf{r}) = \mathbf{H}(\mathbf{r}) e^{ik_0\psi(\mathbf{r})}. \tag*{(6)}

We define the optical momentum

p=∇ψ.(7)\mathbf{p} = \nabla\psi. \tag*{(7)}

Since ∇×(Veik0ψ)=(∇×V+ik0p×V)eik0ψ\nabla\times(\mathbf{V}e^{ik_0\psi}) = (\nabla\times\mathbf{V} + ik_0\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{V})e^{ik_0\psi} for any vector amplitude V\mathbf{V}, Eqs. (1) and (2) become

∇×E+ik0p×E=ik0cμH,(8)\nabla\times\mathbf{E} + ik_0\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{E} = ik_0 c\mu\mathbf{H}, \tag*{(8)}
∇×H+ik0p×H=−ik0cϵE.(9)\nabla\times\mathbf{H} + ik_0\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{H} = -ik_0 c\epsilon\mathbf{E}. \tag*{(9)}

We expand the amplitudes in powers of 1/(ik0)1/(ik_0),

E=∑l=0∞1(ik0)lEl,H=∑l=0∞1(ik0)lHl.(10)\mathbf{E} = \sum_{l=0}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(ik_0)^l}\mathbf{E}_l,\qquad \mathbf{H} = \sum_{l=0}^{\infty} \frac{1}{(ik_0)^l}\mathbf{H}_l. \tag*{(10)}

Inserting the series into Eqs. (8) and (9) and collecting the coefficients of each power of ik0ik_0, we obtain the zeroth-order equations

p×E0−cμH0=0,(11)\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{E}_0 - c\mu\mathbf{H}_0 = 0, \tag*{(11)}
p×H0+cϵE0=0,(12)\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{H}_0 + c\epsilon\mathbf{E}_0 = 0, \tag*{(12)}

and, for l≥1l \ge1,

∇×El−1+p×El−cμHl=0,(13)\nabla\times\mathbf{E}_{l-1} + \mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{E}_l - c\mu\mathbf{H}_l = 0, \tag*{(13)}
∇×Hl−1+p×Hl+cϵEl=0.(14)\nabla\times\mathbf{H}_{l-1} + \mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{H}_l + c\epsilon\mathbf{E}_l = 0. \tag*{(14)}

Section II C solves the zeroth-order equations; Sec. II D treats the case l=1l=1 and the condition for the existence of the first-order fields.

Zeroth order

Eliminating H0\mathbf{H}_0 between Eqs. (11) and (12) gives

p×[p×E0]+n2E0=0,(15)\mathbf{p} \times[\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{E}_0] + n^2\mathbf{E}_0 = 0, \tag*{(15)}

with nn given by (3). (15) has nontrivial solutions if and only if

det⁡[pjpj′+(n2−p2)δjj′]=n2(p2−n2)2=0,(16)\det\left[p_jp_{j'} + (n^2-p^2)\delta_{jj'}\right] = n^2\left(p^2-n^2\right)^2 = 0, \tag*{(16)}

(the matrix has the eigenvalue n2n^2 for the eigenvector p\mathbf{p} and the doubly degenerate eigenvalue n2−p2n^2-p^2 for vectors transverse to p\mathbf{p}) which gives the eikonal equation

p=∣p∣=n(r),(17)p = |\mathbf{p}| = n(\mathbf{r}), \tag*{(17)}

since p\mathbf{p} and nn are real and positive. Equations (11) and (12) then give p⋅E0=p⋅H0=0\mathbf{p}\cdot\mathbf{E}_0 = \mathbf{p}\cdot\mathbf{H}_0 = 0 and

H0=1cμp×E0.(18)\mathbf{H}_0 = \frac{1}{c\mu}\mathbf{p} \times\mathbf{E}_0. \tag*{(18)}

that is, the zeroth-order fields are transverse. In the sense of the bilinear scalar product, {E0,H0,p}\{\mathbf{E}_0,\mathbf{H}_0,\mathbf{p}\} are mutually orthogonal. The Poynting vector points along p\mathbf{p}, so that the rays are the curves r(ℓ)\mathbf{r}(\ell) with tangent p^=p/p=dr/dℓ\hat{\mathbf{p}}=\mathbf{p}/p=d\mathbf{r}/d\ell, where ℓ\ell is the arclength. (17) implies ψ(r(ℓ))=∫0ℓn dℓ′\psi(\mathbf{r}(\ell))=\int_0^\ell n\,d\ell' and the ray equation d(np^)/dℓ=∇nd(n\hat{\mathbf{p}})/d\ell=\nabla n, which is equivalent to

drdℓ=p^,dpdℓ=∇n.(19)\frac{d\mathbf{r}}{d\ell}=\hat{\mathbf{p}},\qquad\frac{d\mathbf{p}}{d\ell}=\nabla n. \tag*{(19)}

Here r\mathbf{r} is a point of space, and to this order the curve r(ℓ)\mathbf{r}(\ell) is the position of the ray at arclength ℓ\ell. At first order in 1/k01/k_0 two different curves appear, the position R(ℓ)\mathbf{R}(\ell) of the ray and the canonical coordinate r(ℓ)\mathbf{r}(\ell); the reason why R\mathbf{R} is the position of the light is given in Sec. IV D.

First order and the solvability condition

For l=1l=1, Eqs. (13) and (14) read

p×E1−cμH1=−∇×E0,(20)\mathbf{p}\times\mathbf{E}_1-c\mu\mathbf{H}_1=-\nabla\times\mathbf{E}_0, \tag*{(20)}
p×H1+cϵE1=−∇×H0.(21)\mathbf{p}\times\mathbf{H}_1+c\epsilon\mathbf{E}_1=-\nabla\times\mathbf{H}_0. \tag*{(21)}

This is an inhomogeneous linear system whose homogeneous part has vanishing determinant, so it has a solution only if the inhomogeneous terms satisfy a condition. Solving Eq. (20) for H1\mathbf{H}_1,

H1=1cμ[p×E1+∇×E0],(22)\mathbf{H}_1=\frac{1}{c\mu}\left[\mathbf{p}\times\mathbf{E}_1+\nabla\times\mathbf{E}_0\right], \tag*{(22)}

and inserting the result into Eq. (21), multiplied by cμc\mu, we find

p×[p×E1]+n2E1=C,(23)\mathbf{p}\times[\mathbf{p}\times\mathbf{E}_1]+n^2\mathbf{E}_1=\mathbf{C}, \tag*{(23)}

where

C=−cμ∇×H0−p×(∇×E0).(24)\mathbf{C}=-c\mu\nabla\times\mathbf{H}_0-\mathbf{p}\times(\nabla\times\mathbf{E}_0). \tag*{(24)}

On the surface p=np=n, Eq. (23) is

ME1=p(p⋅E1)=C,Mjj′=pjpj′+(n2−p2)δjj′,(25)\mathcal{M}\mathbf{E}_1=\mathbf{p}(\mathbf{p}\cdot\mathbf{E}_1)=\mathbf{C},\qquad\mathcal{M}_{jj'}=p_jp_{j'}+(n^2-p^2)\delta_{jj'}, \tag*{(25)}

because M\mathcal{M} has rank one when p=np=n. (25) can be solved if and only if

C is collinear with p,(26)\mathbf{C}\text{ is collinear with }\mathbf{p}, \tag*{(26)}

References

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