Probing Dual Asymmetric Transverse Spin Angular Momentum in Tightly Focused Vector Beams in Optical Tweezers

The spin‐orbit interaction (SOI) of light generated by tight focusing in optical tweezers is regularly employed in generating angular momentum ‐ both spin and orbital ‐ the effects being extensively observed in trapped mesoscopic particles. Specifically, the transverse spin angular momentum (TSAM), which arises due to the longitudinal component of the electromagnetic field generated by tight focusing is of special interest, both in terms of fundamental studies and associated applications. This study provides an effective and optimal strategy for generating TSAM in optical tweezers by tightly focusing first‐order radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams with no intrinsic angular momentum (AM) into a refractive index stratified medium. The choice of such input fields ensures that the longitudinal spin angular momentum (LSAM) arising from the electric (magnetic) field for the radial (azimuthal) polarization is zero. As a result, the effects of the electric and magnetic TSAM are exclusively observed separately in the case of input first‐order radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams on single optically trapped birefringent particles. This research opens up new and simple avenues for exotic and complex particle manipulation in optical tweezers. Pure transverse spin angular momentum (TSAM) is imparted to single highly birefringent particles in optical tweezers by tightly focusing radially and azimuthally polarized structured beams with no intrinsic angular momentum into a refractive index stratified medium. This choice of beam profiles ensures that the effects of the electric and magnetic TSAM are exclusively observed separately, thus illustrating the breakdown of ‘electromagnetic democracy’ in such systems.