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

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