Real-time observation of the spin Hall effect of light using metasurface-enabled single-shot weak measurements

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The spin Hall effect of light (SHEL), the transverse splitting of light into two circularly polarized components via refraction or reflection, offers high-precision, nondestructive inspection of unknown interfaces when combined with a signal amplification technique called weak measurement. However, its application in detecting dynamics is limited due to its multistep process. Here, we condense the procedure into a single step, enabling calibration-free, single-shot measurement of the SHEL by replacing one component of the conventional setup with a polarization beamsplitting metasurface. Our approach allows for instantaneous evaluation of the SHEL, even with fluctuations in the original beam position. As proof of concept, we apply metasurface-assisted weak measurements to both static and dynamic scenarios, where the experimental results obtained from a single captured image demonstrate nice agreement with theory. This real-time observation of the SHEL highlights its potential for high-precision monitoring of dynamic processes such as biomedical sensing and chemical analysis. The spin Hall effect of light allows precise identification of unknown interface parameters, yet its measurement has previously required multiple steps. Here, the authors introduce a metasurface-enabled, single-shot, real-time measurement method.