Optical spin waves

Abstract: Chirality is inherent to a broad range of systems, including in solid-state and wave physics. The precession (chiral motion) of electron spins in magnetic materials, forming spin waves, has various properties and many applications in magnetism and spintronics. We show that an optical analog of spin waves can be generated in arrays of plasmonic nanohelices. Such optical waves arise from the interaction between chiral helix eigenmodes carrying spin angular momentum. We demonstrate that these optical spin waves are reflected at the interface between successive domains of enantiomeric nanohelices, forming a heterochiral lattice, regardless of the wave propagation direction within the lattice. Optical spin waves may be applied in techniques involving photon spin, ranging from data processing and storage to quantum optics.