Location: Nano 232 (Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering) Contact: ingrid@ee.stanford.edu Nov 26, 2012 4:15 PM, Nano Bldng 232 (Refreshments 4 PM) http://campus-map.stanford.edu/index.cfm?ID=04-040 - MapSpinooptics in NanostructuresErez Hasman Micro and Nano-Optics Laboratory Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (Currently Visiting Professor, Stanford) Spin-symmetry breaking in nanoscale structures caused by spin-orbit interaction, leading to a new branch in optics – spinoptics is presented. The spin-based effects offer an unprecedented ability to control light and its polarization state in nanometer-scale optical devices, thereby facilitating a variety of applications related to nanophotonics. The direct observation of optical spin-Hall effect that appears when a wave carrying spin angular momentum (AM) interacts with plasmonic nanostructures is introduced.  A plasmonic nanostructure exhibits a crucial role of an AM selection rule in a light-surface plasmon scattering process. Spin-controlled plasmonics based on the interference of topological defects in the near-field was observed. We utilize the surface plasmons' scattering dynamics from localized vortex sources to create spinoptical devices as an ensemble of isolated nanoantennas to observe a "giant" spin-controlled plasmonic vortex and a spin-dependent plasmonic focusing lens. Moreover, an observation of optical Rashba effect from spinoptical metamaterials consisting of nanoantennas is presented. The observed spin split dispersion arises from the inversion symmetry violation in the lattice. The observed effects inspire one to propose a new generation of optical elements for nanophotonic applications.BiographyErez Hasman received the B.Sc. degree (in physics) in 1981 from the Tel Aviv University, the M.Sc. degree in 1985 from the Technion, Haifa, and the Ph.D. in 1992 from Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. He is a Professor of optical sciences and head of the Micro and Nanooptics Laboratory, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion - Israel Inst. of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Currently, he is on Sabbatical as a visiting Professor at Stanford University. He has made significant contributions in the field of nanophotonics and radiative heat transfer from nanostructures, and specifically in developing a new branch in optics – spinoptics, opening a new avenue for controlling light in nanometer-scale optical devices (see: www.technion.ac.il/optics).-------------------------------------------------- The Optics and Electronics Seminar Series is sponsored by  the Department of Applied Physics, and Ginzton Laboratory -------------------------------------------------- Fall 2012 Talks (Organizer: Prof. Jennifer Dionne): Dec 03, 2012 Prof. Nicholas Fang Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, MIT "Transforming Light and Sound with Metamaterials" Sponsor: Applied Physics Department, and Ginzton Laboratory Audience: General Public Faculty/Staff Students Alumni/Friends The Optics and Electronics Seminar Series is sponsored by