Transverse spin angular momentum of a space-time surface plasmon polariton wave packet
Naoki Ichiji, Daigo Oue, Мurat Yessenov, Kenneth L. Schepler, Ayman F. Abouraddy, Atsushi Kubo
Abstract
In addition to longitudinal spin angular momentum (SAM) along the axis of propagation of light, spatially structured electromagnetic fields such as evanescent waves and focused beams have recently been found to possess transverse SAM in the direction perpendicular to the axis of propagation. In particular, the SAM of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) with spatial structure has been extensively studied in the last decade after it became clear that evanescent fields with spatially structured energy flow generate three-dimensional spin texture. Here we present numerical calculations of the space-time surface plasmon polariton (ST-SPP) wave packet, a plasmonic bullet that propagates at an arbitrary group velocity while maintaining its spatial distribution. ST-SPP wave packets with complex spatial structure and energy flow density distribution determined by the group velocity are found to propagate with accompanying three-dimensional spin texture and finite topological charge density. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the spin texture and topological charge density determined by the spatial structure of the SPP is controllable, and the deformation associated with propagation is negligible. ST-SPP wave packets, which can stably transport customizable three-dimensional spin textures and topological charge densities, can be excellent subjects of observation in studies of spin photonics and optical topological materials.