Spin Hall Effect Observed in Photons,
Onur Hosten and Paul Kwiat have shown that when light bends at an interface (refraction)—such as between water and air—the photons also shift sideways, perpendicular to the plane of refraction, in addition to changing direction.
According to Hosten, "the effect is the photonic version of the spin Hall effect in electronic systems, indicating the universality of the effect, even for particles of different nature." The researchers believe that the spin Hall effect can be used to manipulate photonic angular momentum states, while their new measurement technique holds promise for precision metrology.
This work was supported by the University of Illinois. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Illinois.