Longitudinal encoding of focused vector vortex beams empowered by silicon metasurfaces

Abstract

Vector vortex beams (VVBs) have attracted considerable applications due to their unique properties, such as vortex filtering, particle trapping, and quantum information. Recently, information coding methods based on metasurface strategies show excellent performance in remote sensing and communication, but the implementation of the longitudinal dimension of the optical field in information coding remains to be developed. Here, we provide a strategy for constructing all-dielectric terahertz (THz) metasurface designs for longitudinal codecs, with the individual focal planes carrying specific encrypted information. Benefiting from the joint modulation of the geometrical and propagation phases, the physical mechanism of spin-polarization multiplexing realizes the coherent superposition of multidimensional focused orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. As a bridge between Poincaré sphere (PS) and the higher-order Poincaré sphere (HOPS), the proposed design produces a longitudinally controllable variation of OAM mode superposition states. A series of metasurface examples for generating specific coding sequences are characterized by manipulating topological charges and phase factors embedded within orthogonal circularly polarized channels. The longitudinal dimension, as a new coding degree of freedom, can be further expanded for meta-optical applications with the assistance of the VVB pattern.