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Advances in silicon photonics, compound III–V semiconductor technology and hybrid integration now mean that powerful, programmable optical integrated circuits could be within sight.
First studied more than a decade ago, the field of spin–orbit interactions of light has accelerated in recent years and is now being exploited in nanophotonics and the generation of complex optical fields.
Spin–orbit optical phenomena involve the interaction of the photon spin with the light wave propagation and spatial distribution, mediated by suitable optical media. Here we present a short overview of the emerging photonic applications that rely on such effects.