Experimental observation of spin Hall effect of light using compact weak measurements

Abstract

The spin Hall effect of light, a phenomenon characterized by the transverse and spin dependent splitting of light at an optical interface, is highly promising for collecting precise quantitative data from interfaces and stands as an appealing option for improving precision metrology. This high level of precision is attributed to the principles of weak measurement. Since its conceptual introduction, the spin Hall effect of light has been empirically observed through weak measurement techniques, adhering closely to the initially proposed experimental configuration. Recently, it has been suggested that the setup can be downsized without compromising precision. Here, the first experimental demonstration of “compact weak measurement” is achieved by observing the spin Hall effect of both reflected and refracted light. Compared to the conventional weak measurement, this compact setup performs the same measurements but requires less free space by replacing the two convex lenses with a set of concave and convex lenses. The compact weak measurement demonstrates excellent agreement with theoretical predictions and experimental findings from traditional setups across both isotropic–isotropic and isotropic–anisotropic interfaces. The experimental validation of the compact configuration paves the way for the practical application of the spin Hall effect of light in devices with a smaller form factor. © 2024 the author(s).