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JOURNALS // Computer Optics // Archive

Computer Optics, 2021 Volume 45, Issue 4, Pages 520–524 (Mi co936)

OPTO-IT

An orbital energy flow and a spin flow at the tight focus

S. S. Stafeevab

a IPSI RAS – Branch of the FSRC "Crystallography and Photonics" RAS, 443001, Samara, Russia, Molodogvardeyskaya 151
b Samara National Research University, 443086, Samara, Russia, Moskovskoye Shosse 34

Abstract: We have shown that a reverse energy flow (negative projection of the Poynting vector onto the optical axis) at the sharp focus of an optical vortex with topological charge 2 and left-hand circular polarization arises because the axial spin flow has a negative projection onto the optical axis and is greater in magnitude than positive projection onto the optical axis of the orbital energy flow (canonical energy flow). Also, using the Richards-Wolf formulas, it is shown that when focusing a left-handed circularly polarized light, in the region of the on-axis reverse energy flow, the light is right-handed circularly polarized.

Keywords: orbital energy flow, spin flow, tight focusing, energy backflow, optical vortex.

Received: 26.01.2021
Accepted: 12.03.2021

DOI: 10.18287/2412-6179-CO-867



© Steklov Math. Inst. of RAS, 2025