Geometrical optical activity induced by a continuous distribution of screw dislocations
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arXiv
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866917206173941760 |
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| author | Belich, Humberto Silva, Edilberto O. |
| author_facet | Belich, Humberto Silva, Edilberto O. |
| contents | We study light propagation in a medium with uniform torsion, modeled as a continuum of screw dislocations within the geometric theory of defects. By solving Maxwell's equations in covariant form, we show that torsion induces intrinsic chirality and circular birefringence: right- and left-circular polarizations acquire different wavenumbers, leading to a purely geometric optical activity. The polarization plane of a linearly polarized beam rotates according to the simple law $Δθ= ΩρL$, linear in the dislocation density $Ω$, propagation length $L$, and transverse coordinate $ρ$. This can be recast as an effective birefringence $Δn = 2cΩρ/ω$, providing geometric design rules for torsion-induced rotatory power. Using parameters from dislocated semiconductors, we obtain millidegree rotations over millimetre-scale paths, within reach of modern polarimetric techniques and amenable to enhancement in metamaterial platforms. We also show that the same spiral geometry implements a broadband geometric phase gate for polarization qubits and has an electronic analogue on the surface of cylindrical topological insulators, where torsion shears the Dirac cone, establishing a unified geometric link between torsion, optical activity, and topological electronic responses. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_10841 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Geometrical optical activity induced by a continuous distribution of screw dislocations Belich, Humberto Silva, Edilberto O. Optics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics We study light propagation in a medium with uniform torsion, modeled as a continuum of screw dislocations within the geometric theory of defects. By solving Maxwell's equations in covariant form, we show that torsion induces intrinsic chirality and circular birefringence: right- and left-circular polarizations acquire different wavenumbers, leading to a purely geometric optical activity. The polarization plane of a linearly polarized beam rotates according to the simple law $Δθ= ΩρL$, linear in the dislocation density $Ω$, propagation length $L$, and transverse coordinate $ρ$. This can be recast as an effective birefringence $Δn = 2cΩρ/ω$, providing geometric design rules for torsion-induced rotatory power. Using parameters from dislocated semiconductors, we obtain millidegree rotations over millimetre-scale paths, within reach of modern polarimetric techniques and amenable to enhancement in metamaterial platforms. We also show that the same spiral geometry implements a broadband geometric phase gate for polarization qubits and has an electronic analogue on the surface of cylindrical topological insulators, where torsion shears the Dirac cone, establishing a unified geometric link between torsion, optical activity, and topological electronic responses. |
| title | Geometrical optical activity induced by a continuous distribution of screw dislocations |
| topic | Optics Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.10841 |