Abstract
The spatial variation of vector vortex beams with arbitrary polarization states and orbital angular momentum (OAM) values along the beam propagation is demonstrated by using plasmonic metasurfaces with the initial geometric phase profiles determined from the caustic theory. The vector vortex beam is produced by the superposition of deflected right- and left-handed circularly polarized component vortices with different helical phase charges, which are simultaneously generated off-axially by the single metasurface. Besides, the detailed evolution processes of intensity profile, polarization distribution and OAM value along the beam propagation distance is analyzed. The demonstrated arbitrary space-variant vector vortex beam will pave the way to many promising applications related to spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion, spin-orbit hybrid entanglement, particle manipulation and transportation, and optical communication.
Highlights
Optical vector vortex beams have polarization singularities and possess phase singularities in both their right- and left-handed circularly polarized (RCP and LCP) component vortices
By introducing the geometric phase accompanied with polarization conversion[21,22,23,24,25,26], metasurfaces have been widely used for building on-chip wavefront shaping devices such as optical vortex generators[27,28,29,30], flat optical lenses[31,32,33,34,35,36], thin wave plates[37,38,39,40] and holograms[41,42,43,44,45]
An effective approach to realize the spatial variation of vector vortex beams with arbitrary polarization states and orbital angular momentum (OAM) values of RCP and LCP component vortices along the beam propagation is demonstrated based on the plasmonic metasurfaces with the initial phase profiles designed from the caustic theory
Summary
Optical vector vortex beams have polarization singularities and possess phase singularities in both their right- and left-handed circularly polarized (RCP and LCP) component vortices. An effective approach to realize the spatial variation of vector vortex beams with arbitrary polarization states and OAM values of RCP and LCP component vortices along the beam propagation is demonstrated based on the plasmonic metasurfaces with the initial phase profiles designed from the caustic theory. The spatial variation of vector vortex beams could have miscellaneous applications due to the polarization singularities and the OAMs carried in both RCP and LCP component vortices. The variation of vector vortex provides different OAMs and polarization states at different propagation distances, which give more degrees of freedom for the applications involved with both OAM and polarization, especially in the regimes of particle manipulation, optical communication and quantum information processing. The space-variant OAM and polarization state provide extended degrees of freedom for the entanglement based on both spin and orbital angular momentum[48,49]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
