Extraction of Inherent Polarization Modes from an m‐Order Vector Vortex Beam

Abstract

Superposition of two independent orthogonally polarized beams is a conventional principle of creating a new light beam. Herein, it is intended to achieve the inverse process, namely, extracting inherent polarization modes from a single light beam. However, inherent polarization modes within a light beam are always intertwined so that a stable polarization is maintained during propagation in free space. To overcome this limitation, an approach that breaks the modulation symmetry of an m‐order vector vortex beam is reported, thereby unbinding the inherent polarization modes. Using polarization mode competition along with an optical pen, polarization modes within m‐order vector vortex beam are extracted at will in the focal region of an objective lens. This work treats the light beam as a treasure box, and polarization mode extraction is just like the key of the box. Whatever it is, one can just take it directly from the box. This physical thought conveys an entirely new principle of polarization modulation and paves the way for multidimensional manipulation of light fields.