Spin-dependent routing of optical beams in the bulk of twisted anisotropic media

Abstract: We theoretically discuss a new kind of photonic spin-Hall effect (PSHE) for optical beams propagating inside an inhomogeneously twisted anisotropic material. The rotation angle plays the role of an effective gauge field. When the twisting distribution is odd symmetric, the optical beams move along mirror-symmetric trajectories according to their helicity. Connection of this volumetric PSHE with the geometric phase and the Kapitza effect is elucidated.