A mathematical description of the spin Hall effect of light in inhomogeneous media

Abstract

We study Gaussian wave packet solutions for Maxwell's equations in an isotropic, inhomogeneous medium and derive a system of ordinary differential equations that captures the leading-order correction to geodesic motion. The dynamical quantities in this system are the energy centroid, the linear and angular momentum, and the quadrupole moment. Furthermore, the system is closed to first order in the inverse frequency. As an immediate consequence, the energy centroids of Gaussian wave packets with opposite circular polarisations generally propagate in different directions, thereby providing a mathematical proof of the spin Hall effect of light in an inhomogeneous medium.