Vector optical fields broken in the spatial frequency domain

Abstract

We theoretically and experimentally explore the redistribution of polarization states and orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the output plane, induced by the symmetry breaking in the spatial frequency domain. When the vector fields are obstructed by sector-shaped filters in the spatial frequency domain, the local polarization states in the output plane undergo an abrupt transition from linear to circular polarization. The results reveal the polarization-dependent splitting and the appearance of a series of opposite OAMs in the output plane. We also find the self-healing effect of the vector fields broken in the spatial frequency domain and further explore its potential application. If the vector optical fields are used for information transferring or for imaging, even if the optical field carrying the information or image is partially blocked, the complete information or image can still be obtained, implying that which may increase the robustness of the information transferring and the imaging.