Light--absorbed orbital angular momentum in the linear response regime

Philippe Scheid, Stéphane Mangin, Sébastien Lebègue

Published 2023-11-24Version 1

In exploring the light-induced dynamics within the linear response regime, this study investigates the induced orbital angular momentum on a wide variety of electronic structures. We derive a general expression for the torque induced by light on different electronic systems based on their characteristic dielectric tensor. We demonstrate that this phenomenon diverges from the inverse Faraday effect as it produces an orbital magnetization persistent post-illumination. Indeed, our results reveal that, while isotropic non-dissipative materials do not absorb orbital angular momentum from circularly polarized light, any symmetry-breaking arrangement of matter, be it spatial or temporal, introduces novel channels for the absorption of orbital angular momentum, or magnetization. Most notably, in dissipative materials, circularly polarized light imparts a torque corresponding to a change in orbital angular momentum of $\hbar$ per absorbed photon. The potential of these mechanisms to drive helicity-dependent magnetic phenomena paves the way for a deeper understanding of light-matter interactions. Notably, the application of pump-probe techniques in tandem with our findings allows experimentalists to quantitatively assess the amount of orbital angular momentum transferred to electrons in matter, thus hopefully enhancing our ability to steer ultrafast light-induced magnetization dynamics.