"Spin" and "Orbital" Flows in a Circularly Polarized Paraxial Beam: Orbital Rotation without Orbital Angular Momentum

Abstract

In light beams with circular or elliptic polarization, the transverse energy flow consists of the "spin" and "orbital" parts. Both of them can induce the orbital motion of microparticles suspended within the field of a light beam, and this should be taken into account in experiments on the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion. The character of the spin, orbital and total transverse energy flows in circular Laguerre-Gaussian beams is studied analytically; graphical representations of the flows in the beam cross section (flow maps) are calculated and analyzed. The spin circulatory flow can be directed oppositely to the orbital one and/or to the polarization handedness. As a result, the total transverse energy circulation of a beam with homogeneous circular polarization can be of different handedness in different regions of the beam cross section, which are separated by the contours of zero transverse energy flow. Regarding the particle position within the beam cross section, it can perform orbital, spinning or combined spinning-orbital motion with variable parameters. Possible applications to optical driving of microparticles are discussed.