Optical vortex generation by magnons with spin-orbit-coupled light

Light possesses both spin and orbital angular momentum. In spatially asymmetric optical fields, these properties undergo spontaneous coupling, referred to as optical spin-orbit coupling. The study of the coupling has recently become central in modern optics due to its substantial applications in communications, sensing, and quantum control. A key challenge is to clarify the relationship between the origins of spatially asymmetric optical fields and the resulting spin-orbit coupling. Current research focuses on materials and configurations exhibiting spatial asymmetry, such as focusing lenses, interfaces, inhomogeneous media, and metasurfaces. However, Maxwell's equations indicate that matter can introduce both spatial and temporal asymmetry into optical fields. For instance, magnetic ordering breaks the time-reversal symmetry of interacting optical fields via the magneto-optic effect, introducing nonreciprocity in the resulting optical phenomena. Despite the importance, optical phenomena involving both spatially and temporally asymmetric optical fields remain unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that breaking time and spatial symmetries through magnons and light focusing, respectively, transforms an input Gaussian beam into a specific optical vortex beam in a nonreciprocal manner. This phenomenon is quantitatively explained by integrating the physics of magnon-induced Brillouin light scattering with optical spin-orbit coupling. The observed conservation of total angular momentum, encompassing both magnons and photons, further indicates that magnons can control both spin and orbital angular momentum of light. Finally, we outline future research directions enabled by asymmetric optical fields in both space and time.