Arbitrary Topological Charge Research Articles

Symmetry breaking in UCA-based vortex waves

In literature, it is often said that a uniform circular array (UCA) composed of a sufficient number of radiating elements is able to generate a vortex wave with arbitrary topological charge. While providing a very simple and intuitive solution without the need for any synthesis method, the excitation of UCAs by means of a progressive phase shift does not always guarantee that vortex waves are correctly generated, since a major role is played by the symmetry and radiation properties of each individual element which constitutes the array. When the UCAs are employed in vortex communication links, these symmetry properties strongly affect the orthogonality of the channel modes and, therefore, the communication efficiency. In this work, the symmetry breaking associated with the radiation of vortex waves by UCAs and its impact on the mode orthogonality are explored in detail.

Broadband efficient vortex beam generation with metallic helix array

Vortex beams with orbital angular momentum are characterized by a helical phase front and a phase singularity at the beam center. Such beams have various intriguing applications, such as optical communications, particle trapping, and high resolution imaging. Generating a vortex beam by exploiting the geometric phase has attracted great interest, due to its spin-to-orbital conversion feature and device versatility. To meet the requirements of applications such as optical communications and make the devices more user-friendly, vortex beam generation needs to be efficient in a large frequency range. The efficient bandwidth of the optical element is critical here, since the geometric phase is frequency independent. In this work, we design and fabricate a broadband efficient reflective vortex beam generator based on a metallic helix array, which has a uniform efficient co-circular-polarization reflection property. Vortex beams with arbitrary topological charge can be generated with such devices. The measured efficiency of our device is above 58.4%, with the relative bandwidth of 64.52%.

Broadband and high-efficiency vortex beam generator based on a hybrid helix array.

The vortex beam which carries the orbital angular momentum has versatile applications, such as high-resolution imaging, optical communications, and particle manipulation. Generating vortex beams with the Pancharatnam-Berry (PB) phase has drawn considerable attention for its unique spin-to-orbital conversion features. Despite the PB phase being frequency independent, an optical element with broadband high-efficiency circular polarization conversion feature is still needed for the broadband high-efficiency vortex beam generation. In this work, a broadband and high-efficiency vortex beam generator based on the PB phase is built with a hybrid helix array. Such devices can generate vortex beams with arbitrary topological charge. Moreover, vortex beams with opposite topological charge can be generated with an opposite handedness incident beam that propagates backward. The measured efficiency of our device is above 65% for a wide frequency range, with the relative bandwidth of 46.5%.

Polarization-controlled orbital angular momentum switching in nonlinear wave mixing.

We demonstrate polarization-controlled switching of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) transfer in nonlinear wave mixing. By adjusting the input beam geometry, we are able to produce a three-channel orbital OAM, with arbitrary topological charges simultaneously generated and spatially resolved in the second-harmonic wavelength. The use of path and polarization degrees of freedom allows nearly perfect optical switching between different OAM operations. These results are supported by a theoretical model showing very good agreement with the experiments.

Effects of non-Hermitian perturbations on Weyl Hamiltonians with arbitrary topological charges

We provide a systematic study of non-Hermitian topologically charged systems. Starting from a Hermitian Hamiltonian supporting Weyl points with arbitrary topological charge, adding a non-Hermitian perturbation transforms the Weyl points to one-dimensional exceptional contours. We analytical prove that the topological charge is preserved on the exceptional contours. In contrast to Hermitian systems, the addition of gain and loss allows for a new class of topological phase transition: when two oppositely charged exceptional contours touch, the topological charge can dissipate without opening a gap. These effects can be demonstrated in realistic photonics and acoustics systems.

Skyrmions with arbitrary topological charges in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates

Topological Skyrmion defects with arbitrary topological charges are shown to appear in spinor F = 1 Bose–Einstein condensates, under the presence of external gauge or magnetic fields with cylindrical symmetry. We show that, depending on the magnetic field boundary conditions, the spin texture, at the planes perpendicular to the cylindrical axis, can be forced to show Skyrmions with topological charge zero, half-integer, or any desired arbitrary value between and 1/2. Our findings are obtained by numerically solving the corresponding fully coupled Gross–Pitaevskii equations without any symmetry assumptions and by analyzing the Skyrmion topological charge. We study, both, polar 23Na and ferromagnetic 87Rb condensates.

Generating Focused 3D Perfect Vortex Beams By Plasmonic Metasurfaces

AbstractPerfect vortex (PV) beams possessing annular intensity profiles independent of topological charges promise significant advances in particle manipulation, fiber communication, and quantum optics. The PV beam is typically generated from the Fourier transformation of the Bessel–Gauss beam. However, the conventional method to produce PV beams requires a series of bulky optical components, which greatly increases the system complexity and also hinders the photonic device integration. Here, plasmonic metasurfaces made of rectangular‐hole nanoantennas as integrated beam converters are designed and demonstrated to generate focused 3D PV beams in a broad wavelength range, by combining the phase profiles of axicon, spiral phase plate, and Fourier transform lens simultaneously based on the Pancharatnam–Berry phase. It is demonstrated that the PV beam structures can be adjusted by varying several control parameters in the metasurface design. Moreover, multiple PV beams with arbitrary arrangement and topological charges are also produced. These results have the promising potential for enabling new types of compact optical devices for tailoring complex light beams and advancing metasurface‐based functional integrated photonic chips.

Backward flow of energy for an optical vortex with arbitrary integer topological charge

We analyze the sharp focusing of an arbitrary optical vortex with the integer topological charge m and circular polarization in an aplanatic optical system. Explicit formulas to describe all projections of the electric and magnetic fields near the focal spot are derived. Expressions for the near-focus intensity (energy density) and energy flow (projections of the Pointing vector) are also derived. The expressions derived suggest that for a left-hand circularly polarized optical vortex with m > 2, the on-axis backward flow is equal to zero, growing in the absolute value as a power 2(m – 2) of the radial coordinate. These relations also show that upon the negative propagation, the energy flow rotates around the optical axis.

High-harmonic-generation-inspired preparation of optical vortex arrays with arbitrary-order topological charges

In the process of high-harmonic generation with a Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) mode, it was well established that the topological charge could be of an N-fold increase due to angular momentum conservation. Here, by mimicking the effect of high-harmonic generation, we devise a simple algorithm to generate optical vortex arrays carrying arbitrary topological charges with a single phase-only spatial light modulator. By initially preparing a coaxial superposition of suitable low-order LG modes, we demonstrate experimentally that the topological charges of the embedded vortices can be multiplied and transformed into arbitrarily high orders on demand, while the array structure remains unchanged. Our algorithm offers a concise way to efficiently manipulate the structured light beams and holds promise in optical micromanipulation and remote sensing.

Orbital-angular-momentum mixing in type-II second-harmonic generation

We investigate the non linear mixing of orbital angular momentum in type II second harmonic generation with arbitrary topological charges imprinted on two orthogonally polarized beams. Starting from the basic nonlinear equations for the interacting fields, we derive the selection rules determining the set of paraxial modes taking part in the interaction. Conservation of orbital angular momentum naturally appears as the topological charge selection rule. However, a less intuitive rule applies to the radial orders when modes carrying opposite helicities are combined in the nonlinear crystal, an intriguing feature confirmed by experimental measurements.

Manipulating orbital angular momentum of light with tailored in-plane polarization states

Generally, polarization and phase are considered as two relatively independent parameters of light, and show little interaction when a light propagates in a homogeneous and isotropic medium. Here, we reveal that orbital angular momentum (OAM) of an optical vortex beam can be modulated by specially-tailored locally linear polarization states of light under a tightly-focusing conditon. We perform both theoretical and experimental studies of this interaction between vortex phase and vector polarization, and find that an arbitrary topological charge value of OAM can be achieved in principle through vector polarization modulation, in contrast to the spin-orbital conversion that yields only the ± ћ OAM values through circular polarization. We verify the modulation of optical OAM state with vector beams by observing the orbital rotation of trapped particles.

任意拓扑荷光学旋涡的产生及应用

任意拓扑荷光学旋涡的产生及应用

Merging Geometric Phase and Plasmon Retardation Phase in Continuously Shaped Metasurfaces for Arbitrary Orbital Angular Momentum Generation

Traditional technologies to generate and manipulate the orbital angular momentum (OAM) suffer from bulky size and do not lend themselves to nanophotonic systems. An ultrathin metasurface based on abrupt phase shift has recently been proposed as an alternative method. Nevertheless, gradient phase was generally approximated by multiple meta-atom/molecules with discrete levels of abrupt phase shift, which not only increases the design and fabrication complexity but also causes difficulties in obtaining simultaneous electrical and optical functionality. Furthermore, a discontinuous phase profile would introduce phase noise to the scattering fields and deteriorate the purity of the OAM beams. Here, we propose a wavefront engineering mechanism by virtue of the spin–orbit interaction in continuously shaped plasmonic metasurfaces, which offers a new approach to generate OAM modes of high purity. Equally important, a method producing arbitrary OAM topological charge, integral and fractional, is demonstrated by mer...

Propagation model for vector beams generated by metasurfaces.

A propagation model of vector beams generated by metasurfaces based on vector diffraction theory is established theoretically and verified experimentally. Considering the Pancharatnam-Berry phase introduced by the metasurface, analytical forms of vector beams for arbitrary incident polarization and topological charge of metasurfaces are found in the Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction regions, respectively. The complex amplitude of the resultant vector beam can be described in terms of a confluent hypergeometric function, with an intensity profile that manifests concentric rings in the Fresnel region and a single ring in the Fraunhofer one. Fraunhofer diffraction provides a method to create vector beams with simultaneously high purity and modal power. Further experiments verify the theoretical results.

Generation of Plasmonic Vortex with Linearly Polarized Light

A nanoslit-arrayed plasmonic lens that can generate plasmonic vortex with linearly polarized light is theoretically and numerically studied. The topological charge (TC) of generated plasmonic vortex is the sum of the geometrical charge of the proposed plasmonic lens and additional angular momentum of ±1. The plasmonic vortex is determined by the pitch of the plasmonic lens, the nanoslit rotation directions, as well as the polarization direction of the incident light. Combination of the geometry parameters of the plasmonic lens and the polarization direction of linearly polarized incident light, plasmonic vortexes with arbitrary TC are flexibly generated. Moreover, by cutting the continuous nanoslit arrays into segments, highly ordered plasmonic vortexes are realized with small plasmonic lens size. Comparisons with two slit plasmonic lenses are also presented to demonstrate the unique properties of the proposed plasmonic lens in plasmonic vortex generation.

Orbital angular momentum density of a general Lorentz–Gauss vortex beam

Based on the vectorial Rayleigh–Sommerfeld integral formulae, the analytical expression of a general Lorentz–Gauss vortex beam with an arbitrary topological charge is derived in free space. By using the analytical expressions of the electromagnetic field beyond the paraxial approximation, the orbital angular momentum density of a general Lorentz–Gauss vortex beam can be calculated. The effects of the linearly polarized angle and the topological charge on the three components of the orbital angular momentum density are investigated in the reference plane. The two transversal components of the orbital angular momentum are composed of two lobes with the same areas and opposite signs. The longitudinal component of the orbital angular momentum density is composed of four lobes with the same areas. The sign of the orbital angular momentum density in a pair of lobes is positive, and that of the orbital angular momentum density in the other pair of lobes is negative. Moreover, the negative magnitude of the orbital angular momentum density is larger than the positive magnitude of the orbital angular momentum density. The linearly polarized angle affects not only the shape and the location of the lobes, but also the magnitude of the three components of the orbital angular momentum density. With increasing the topological charge, the distribution of the orbital angular momentum density expands, the magnitude of the orbital angular momentum density increases, and the shape of the lobe also slightly changes.

Inversion of the topological charge of optical vortices in a coil fiber resonator

In this Letter, we study the propagation of optical vortices (OVs) in a two-coil multimode fiber resonator. We suggest an analytical scheme of solving this problem based on its reduction to one of propagation of OVs in parallel evanescently coupled optical fibers. In the framework of the scalar approximation, we derive expressions for normal modes of the system and study evolution of an OV with an arbitrary topological charge excited at the input end of the resonator. We show that such a coil resonator is able to invert the topological charge of the incoming OV, provided the resonance condition is met.

Artificial perfect electric conductor-perfect magnetic conductor anisotropic metasurface for generating orbital angular momentum of microwave with nearly perfect conversion efficiency

Orbital angular momentum (OAM) is a promising degree of freedom for fundamental studies in electromagnetics and quantum mechanics. The unlimited state space of OAM shows a great potential to enhance channel capacities of classical and quantum communications. By exploring the Pancharatnam-Berry phase concept and engineering anisotropic scatterers in a metasurface with spatially varying orientations, a plane wave with zero OAM can be converted to a vortex beam carrying nonzero OAM. In this paper, we proposed two types of novel perfect electric conductor-perfect magnetic conductor anisotropic metasurfaces. One is composed of azimuthally continuous loops and the other is constructed by azimuthally discontinuous dipole scatterers. Both types of metasurfaces are mounted on a mushroom-type high impedance surface. Compared to previous metasurface designs for generating OAM, the proposed ones achieve nearly perfect conversion efficiency. In view of the eliminated vertical component of electric field, the continuous metasurface shows very smooth phase pattern at the near-field region, which cannot be achieved by convectional metasurfaces composed of discrete scatterers. On the other hand, the metasurface with discrete dipole scatterers shows a great flexibility to generate OAM with arbitrary topological charges. Our work is fundamentally and practically important to high-performance OAM generation.

Constructive spin-orbital angular momentum coupling can twist materials to create spiral structures in optical vortex illumination

It was discovered that optical vortices twist isotropic and homogenous materials, e.g., azo-polymer films to form spiral structures on a nano- or micro-scale. However, the formation mechanism has not yet been established theoretically. To understand the mechanism of the spiral surface relief formation in the azo-polymer film, we theoretically investigate the optical radiation force induced in an isotropic and homogeneous material under irradiation using a continuous-wave optical vortex with arbitrary topological charge and polarization. It is revealed that the spiral surface relief formation in azo-polymer films requires the irradiation of optical vortices with a positive (negative) spin angular momentum and a positive (negative) orbital angular momentum (constructive spin-orbital angular momentum coupling), i.e., the degeneracy among the optical vortices with the same total angular momentum is resolved.

Tailoring Orbital Angular Momentum of Light in the Visible Domain with Metallic Metasurfaces

Submicron‐thick gold films endowed with subwavelength patterning allow on‐demand topological shaping of light, hence the precise delivery of optical orbital angular momentum. Several kinds of metallic metasurfaces enabling the generation of optical vortices with arbitrary topological charges in the visible domain are fabricated following a design based on space‐variant subwavelength grating with discrete orientational distribution. The optical performances of obtained flat spin–orbit optical elements designed to operate at 532 nm wavelength are experimentally assessed and satisfactorily compared to expectations. About 80% of optical vortex generation purity for predetermined topological charge up to is achieved. Other designs that allow continuous orientational distribution of nanogratings as well as the superposition of orbital angular momentum states are also proposed.