title: Spin-induced angular momentum switching.
abstract: When light is transmitted through optically inhomogeneous and anisotropic media the spatial distribution of light can be modified according to its input polarization state. A complete analysis of this process, based on the paraxial approximation, is presented, and we show how it can be exploited to produce a spin-controlled change in the orbital angular momentum of light beams propagating in patterned space-variant optical axis phase plates. We also unveil a new effect: the development of a strong modulation in the angular momentum change upon variation of the optical path through the phase plates.
authors.affiliation: Grup de Física Teòrica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterna, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gabriel F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picón