I talked with Dr. Cherrie May Olaya, a postdoctoral researcher at the RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics in Japan. She explains her work on how light behaves at metal surfaces, focusing on a phenomenon known as the photonic spin Hall effect. Using surface plasmon resonance, her study demonstrates a new way to directly measure tiny light shifts that are usually difficult to detect. We discuss why these effects matter, how they can improve optical sensing and imaging technologies, and what it is like to conduct advanced photonics research as a Filipino scientist working abroad.

📚Reference: Olaya CM, Hayazawa N, Balgos MH, Tanaka T. 2025. ⁠Enhancing angular photonic spin Hall effect at surface plasmon resonance⁠. Nanophotonics. 14(19):3115–3124.

🤝Behind The Science Podcast is presented to you by Marine & Earth Science Learning Hub, UP Resilience Institute, The Philippine Agricultural Scientist, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, and SciEnggJ.