Perfect Vortex Beam Research Articles

Creating perfect composite vortex beams with a single all-dielectric geometric metasurface.

Optical vortex beam carrying orbit angular momentum has been extensively researched and applied recently. Among which a perfect vortex beam (PVB) has attracted much attention owing to its topological charge (TC)-irrelevant intensity profile. However, the morphology singularity, as well as implementation complexity of the PVB tie the degree of freedom for multiplexing. Herein, by introducing the concept of a composite vortex beam, we originally propose a novel kind of PVB - perfect composite vortex beam (PCVB) - which possesses a rosette-like intensity pattern that is exactly correlated with the TC and can be directly generated using a single all-dielectric geometric metasurface rather than bulky optical systems. We numerically simulate the broadband generation of the proposed PCVB with various TCs, sizes, and rotation angles. To further explore the potential of our design in practical applications, we demonstrated the coaxial array of the PCVBs and detected their optical angular force for manipulating nanoparticles. We believe that our fruitage may pave a desirable avenue for optical communication, information processing, and optical manipulation.

Highly Efficient Perfect Vortex Beams Generation Based on All-Dielectric Metasurface for Ultraviolet Light.

Featuring shorter wavelengths and high photon energy, ultraviolet (UV) light enables many exciting applications including photolithography, sensing, high-resolution imaging, and optical communication. The conventional methods of UV light manipulation through bulky optical components limit their integration in fast-growing on-chip systems. The advent of metasurfaces promised unprecedented control of electromagnetic waves from microwaves to visible spectrums. However, the availability of suitable and lossless dielectric material for the UV domain hindered the realization of highly efficient UV metasurfaces. Here, a bandgap-engineered silicon nitride (Si3N4) material is used as a best-suited candidate for all-dielectric highly efficient UV metasurfaces. To demonstrate the wavefront manipulation capability of the Si3N4 for the UV spectrum, we design and numerically simulate multiple all-dielectric metasurfaces for the perfect vortex beam generation by combing multiple phase profiles into a single device. For different numerical apertures (), it is concluded that the diffracted light from the metasurfaces with different topological charges results in an annular intensity profile with the same ring radius. It is believed that the presented Si3N4 materials and proposed design methodology for PV beam-generating metasurfaces will be applicable in various integrated optical and nanophotonic applications such as information processing, high-resolution spectroscopy, and on-chip optical communication.

Generation and Superposition of Perfect Vortex Beams in Terahertz Region via Single-Layer All-Dielectric Metasurface.

Terahertz (THz) orbital angular momentum (OAM) technology provides promising applications in future wireless communication with large bandwidth and high capacity. However, the ring radius of the conventional THz vortex beam is related to the topological charge, limiting the co-propagation of multiple OAM modes in the THz communication systems. Although the perfect vortex beam (PVB) based on traditional methods can solve this problem, they are usually bulky and unstable. Here, we demonstrate two PVB generators based on a single all-dielectric metasurface to obtain polarization-independent PVB and spin multiplexed PVB, respectively. The former regulates the propagation phase by using isotropic unit cells; the latter simultaneously manipulates the propagation and geometric phase to achieve the spin-decoupled phase control by arranging anisotropic unit cells. In addition, we also demonstrate the stable generation of a perfect Poincaré beam with arbitrary polarization and phase distribution on a hybrid-order Poincaré Sphere via a spin-decoupled metasurface, which is achieved by the linear superposition of two PVBs with orthogonal circular polarizations. The proposed scheme provides a compact and efficient platform for the generation and superposition of PVBs in THz region, and will speed up the progress of THz communication systems, complex light field generation, and quantum information sciences.

Ring focus reflector design for topological charge multiplexing based on a perfect vortex beam.

A ring focus reflector is proposed for transmitting a perfect vortex (PV) beam, and the transmission characteristics of the PV beam with different topological charges in free space after passing through the reflector are studied. The reflector parameters can be determined by fitting the structural formula, and PV beams of different orders transmit with small spot sizes at the same time. The transmission trajectory calculated by the diffraction formula is consistent with the ray tracing results. The research results show that the reflector can achieve a high level of transmission efficiency of beams with different topological charges, which is conducive to the multiplexing of PV beams.

Coherent manipulation of perfect optical vortex via inelastic four-wave mixing in a cold five-level atomic system

We propose an efficient scheme to manipulate the perfect optical vortex (POV) beam in a cold atomic ensemble with a five-level configuration. The orbital angular momentum can be completely transferred from a POV control beam to the generated mixing field via inelastic four-wave mixing (IFWM) process. It is found that the intensity and helical phase of the generated vortex IFWM field can be coherently controlled by adjusting the relevant parameters, such as the atomic population, and the intensity and detuning of the pumping field. The obtained results can be reasonably explained via the combination of inherent and modal dispersion relation. Our result may find potential applications in POV-based large-particle manipulation and optical communication.

Generation of multi-channel perfect vortex beams with the controllable ring radius and the topological charge based on an all-dielectric transmission metasurface.

The perfect vortex (PV) beam, characterized by carrying orbital angular momentum and a radial electric intensity distribution independent of the topological charge, has important applications in optical communication, particle manipulation, and quantum optics. Conventional methods of generating PV beams require a series of bulky optical elements that are tightly collimated with each other, adding to the complexity of optical systems. Here, making the amplitude of transmitted co-polarized and cross-polarized components to be constant, all-dielectric transmission metasurfaces with superimposed phase profiles integrating spiral phase plate, axicon and Fourier lens are constructed based on the phase-only modulation method. Using mathematical derivation and numerical simulation, multi-channel PV beams with controllable annular ring radius and topological charge are realized for the first time under circularly polarized light incidence combining the propagation phase and geometric phase. Meanwhile, perfect vector vortex beams are produced by superposition of PV beams under the incidence of left-handed circularly polarized and right-handed circularly polarized lights, respectively. This work provides a new perspective on generating tailored PV beams, increasing design flexibility and facilitating the construction of compact, integrated, and versatile nanophotonics platforms.

Multichannel terahertz quasi-perfect vortex beams generation enabled by multifunctional metasurfaces

Abstract Vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) open a new perspective in various terahertz research. Multichannel and divergence controllable terahertz vortex beam generation holds the key to promoting the development of OAM related terahertz research. Here, we introduced and experimentally demonstrated quasi-perfect vortex beam (Q-PVB) with a controllable divergence angle independent of the topological charge and multichannel Q-PVBs generation with all-dielectric multifunctional metasurfaces. By superimposing specific phase functions together into the metasurfaces, multiple vortex beams and four-channel Q-PVBs with different topological charges are generated as well as focused at separated positions. High resolution characterization of terahertz electric field shows the good quality and broadband properties of Q-PVBs. Interestingly, compared with conventional perfect vortex beam; Q-PVB displays a smaller divergence angle and thinner ring width. The metasurfaces proposed here provide a promising avenue to realize multichannel vortex beams generation in compact terahertz systems; benefiting OAM related researches such as mode division multiplexing, vortex beam related plasmonic enhancement and spinning objective detection.

Phase memory of optical vortex beams

Optical vortex beams are under considerable scrutiny due to their demonstrated potential for applications ranging from quantum optics to optical communications and from material processing to particle trapping. However, upon interaction with inhomogeneous material systems, their deterministic properties are altered. The way these structured beams are affected by different levels of disturbances is critical for their uses. Here, for the first time, we quantify the degradation of perfect optical vortex beams after their interaction with localized random media. We developed an analytical model that (1) describes how the spatial correlation and the phase variance of disturbance affect the phase distribution across the vortex beams and (2) establishes the regimes of randomness for which the beams maintain the memory of their initial vorticity. Systematic numerical simulations and controlled experiments demonstrate the extent of this memory effect for beams with different vorticity indices.

Multichannel Superposition of Grafted Perfect Vortex Beams.

Inspired by plant grafting, grafted vortex beams can be formed through grafting two or more helical phase profiles of optical vortex beams. Recently, grafted perfect vortex beams (GPVBs) have attracted much attention due to their unique optical properties and potential applications. However, the current method to generate and manipulate GPVBs requires a complex and bulky optical system, hindering further investigation and limiting its practical applications. Here, a compact metasurface approach for generating and manipulating GPVBs in multiple channels is proposed and demonstrated, which eliminates the need for such a complex optical setup. A single metasurface is utilized to realize various superpositions of GPVBs with different combinations of topological charges in four channels, leading to asymmetric singularity distributions. The positions of singularities in the superimposed beam can be further modulated by introducing an initial phase difference in the metasurface design. The work demonstrates a compact metasurface platform that performs a sophisticated optical task that is very challenging with conventional optics, opening opportunities for the investigation and applications of GPVBs in a wide range of emerging application areas, such as singular optics and quantum science.

Generation of perfect optical vortex by Laguerre-Gauss beams with a high-order radial index.

Perfect optical vortex (POV) beams have attracted extensive attention because they have the advantage of a radial profile that is independent of orbital angular momentum. To date, it is usually obtained by means of the Fourier transform performed by a lens on Bessel beams. We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that POV can be generated by performing the Fourier transform on Laguerre-Gauss beams with a high-order radial index. Furthermore, we derive an analytical expression for the increase in vortex radius, which is beneficial to compensate for the influence of the radius change in actual experiments. Our results may shed new light for a variety of research utilizing POV.

Perfect vortex beam with polarization-rotated functionality based on single-layer geometric-phase metasurface.

Perfect vortex (PV) beam has seen significant advances in fields like particle manipulation, optical tweezers, and particle trapping, due to the fact that its ring radius is independent of the topological charge. Although geometric-phase metasurfaces have been proposed to generate PV beams, it always relies on circularly or elliptically polarized incident light, which hinders the miniaturization of compact optical devices. Here, using orthogonal decomposition of polarization vectors (ODPV), we proposed a geometric-phase metasurface, which breaks the dependence of circular polarization, to generate PV beam. In the design of the metasurface, we introduced PV phase profiles corresponding to the left-handed circularly polarized (LCP) component and the right-handed circularly polarized (RCP) component into the metasurface based on the principle of ODPV. We further determined the rotation angle of each nanostructure of the metasurface by calculating the argument of the composite vector of LCP and RCP in the transmission field. Simulation results show that the proposed geometric-phase metasurface can generate the PV beam upon the illumination of a linearly polarized incident. Moreover, the PV beam with polarization-rotated functionality is achieved by setting the polarization rotation angle. Furthermore, dual PV beams with orthogonal polarization states is realized at the same time by superimposing two sets of phase profiles on a single metasurface. It is also demonstrated that the PV beam parameters, such as ring radius and/or topological charge, can be set on demand in the metasurface design. The proposed metasurface has the exceptional advantage of high fabrication tolerance and is optical path miniaturization friendly, and will open a new avenue in advanced compact and integrated optical systems.

Generation of integer and fractional perfect vortex beams using all-dielectric geometrical phase metasurfaces

Perfect vortex (PV) beams possess a radial intensity profile independent of their topological charges, overcoming the defects of the regular vortex beams. However, the bulky optical elements used in conventional methods for generation of PV beams limit their potential applications. Metasurfaces are ultra-thin version of metamaterials with the flexible ability of controlling electromagnetic waves, promising great potential applications in many optical fields. Here, an all-dielectric metasurface based on a geometrical phase is demonstrated, featuring broadband and high efficiency in manipulation of circularly polarized light. We numerically simulate the performance of the unit-cell and metasurface for generating PV beams carrying integer and fractional topological charges. We hope the designed metasurface will provide an ultra-compact way for generation of high-quality PV beams.

Detection and correction of laterally misaligned optical setup for generation of symmetric perfect vortex beam

Recently, a perfect vortex beam (PVB) has emerged as a noteworthy intensity field due to its significance in quantum optics. However, its practical generation depends on optical systems like axicon-lens assembly (ALA), which are sensitive to misalignments. Therefore, in the present paper, we derived an analytical expression for detecting the misalignment in the ALA and proposed a convenient technique for its correction. We conclude that the induced effects of lateral misalignment can be detected and corrected efficiently by analyzing the intensity distribution of the PVB on any two orthogonal axes only, which was verified experimentally. This study will be beneficial for generating radially symmetric PVB for applications like optical trapping and optical communication.

Generating ultraviolet perfect vortex beams using a high-efficiency broadband dielectric metasurface.

Due to the topological charge-independent doughnut spatial structure as well as the association of orbital angular momentums, perfect vortex beams promise significant advances in fiber communication, optical manipulation and quantum optics. Inspired by the development of planar photonics, several plasmonic and dielectric metasurfaces have been constructed to generate perfect vortex beams, instead of conventional bulky configuration. However, owing to the intrinsic Ohmic losses and interband electron transitions in materials, these metasurface-based vortex beam generators only work at optical frequencies up to the visible range. Herein, using silicon nitride nanopillars as high-efficiency half-wave plates, broadband and high-performance metasurfaces are designed and demonstrated numerically to directly produce perfect vortex beams in the ultraviolet region, by combining the phase profiles of spiral phase plate, axicon and Fourier transformation lens based on geometric phase. The conversion efficiency of the metasurface is up to 86.6% at the design wavelength. Moreover, the influence of several control parameters on perfect vortex beam structures is discussed. We believe that this ultraviolet dielectric generator of perfect vortex beams will find many significant applications, such as high-resolution spectroscopy, optical tweezer and on-chip communication.

Ultra-secure optical encryption based on tightly focused perfect optical vortex beams

Abstract Light’s orbital angular momentum (OAM) with inherent mode orthogonality has been suggested as a new way to the optical encryption. However, the dependence of annular intensity profiles on the topological charge complicates nanoscale light–matter interactions and hampers the ultra-secure encryption application. In this paper, we demonstrate ultra-secure image encryption by tightly focusing perfect optical vortex (POV) beams with controllable annular intensity profiles and OAM states. A simple scheme composed of single spatial light modulator to implement Fourier transform of an ideal Bessel mode with both amplitude and phase modulations is proposed to generate radius-controllable POV in tightly focused beams. Such focused POV beams with identical intensity profiles but varied local OAM density are applied to disorder-coupled gold nanorod aggregates to selectively excite electromagnetic hot spots for encoding information through photothermal deformation. As such, ultra-secure image encryption in OAM states of POV beams in combination with different polarizations can be achieved. Our results lay the ground for diverse nanophotonic applications harnessing the OAM division of POV beams.

Metasurface-assisted multidimensional manipulation of a light wave based on spin-decoupled complex amplitude modulation.

Achieving arbitrary manipulation of the fundamental properties of a light wave with a metasurface is highly desirable and has been extensively developed in recent years. However, common approaches are typically targeted to manipulate only one dimension of light wave (amplitude, phase, or polarization), which is not quite sufficient for the acquisition of integrated multifunctional devices. Here, we propose a strategy to design single-layer dielectric metasurfaces that can achieve multidimensional modulation of a light wave. The critical point of this strategy is spin-decoupled complex amplitude modulation, which is realized by combining propagation and geometric phases with polarization-dependent interference. As proofs of concept, perfect vector vortex beams and polarization-switchable stereoscopic holographic scenes are experimentally demonstrated to exhibit the capability of multidimensional light wave manipulation, which unlocks a flexible approach for the multidimensional manipulation of a light wave such as complex light-wave control and vectorial holography in integrated optics and polarization-oriented applications.

Perfect Vortex Modes for Nondestructive Characterization of Mode Dependent Loss in Ring Core Fibers

Ring core fibers (RCF) enable high-performance modal multiplexing with low crosstalk and can support orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. RCFs are challenging to characterize due to the lack of commercial multiplexers, especially for high OAM orders. For fibers supporting large numbers of modes, typical cutback techniques for characterization are extremely wasteful of fiber, especially as one cutback is required for each mode. We show the differential modal loss across modes 3 to 10 was significantly underestimated using an OTDR when exciting modes individually or when exciting all modes indiscriminately. We exploit perfect vortex beams to achieve reliable and nondestructive characterization of mode-dependent loss (MDL) for OAM modes. Perfect vortex beams allow us to maximize the coupling efficiency at each mode launch, increasing the accuracy of MDL estimate. We fabricated fiber with a refractive index difference between the ring core and the cladding of a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$5.1\times 10^{-2}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. For this fiber, mode orders 3 to 10 are the most suitable for data transmission and were the focus of our work (the fiber support up to OAM order 13). Such a high index difference can lead to MDL. We demonstrate that the modal loss spans from 2.14 to 4.38&#x00A0;dB/km for orders 3 to 10.

Evolution Properties and Spatial-Mode UWOC Performances of the Perfect Vortex Beam Subject to Oceanic Turbulence

The perfect optical vortex (POV) beam with the characteristic of the topological charge (TC)- independence radial profile is first considered to improve the spatial-mode-based underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) performance. The evolution model of POV beams is proposed on the basis of Rytov approximation and the mutual coherence function to explore the impact of wave parameters on the orbital angular momentum (OAM) detection probability spectrum. The instantaneous crosstalk coefficients describing the POV-based UWOC systems are simulated by the multiple phase screen method with the signal coefficient modeled by a mixture Gamma-Gamma and normal distribution. A discrete and memoryless channel and a set of noncollaborative channels are modeled to obtain the capacity performances of the spatial-mode modulating and multiplexing systems, respectively. Results show the transmission quality of POV beams in oceanic turbulence is most related to the beam radius, while it is nearly free from the wavelength, TC, and radius-thickness ratio. Enjoying the advantage of the TC-independence beam radius, POV beams-based UWOC systems could achieve better bit error rate and capacity performances than the widely used Laguerre-Gauss beams when the higher-order TCs are adopted to modulate and multiplex information, which also confirms the superiority of POV beams in spatial-mode-based UWOC systems.

Generation of Perfect Vortex Beams by Dielectric Geometric Metasurface for Visible Light

AbstractA perfect vortex beam (PVB) is a propagating optical field carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) with a radial intensity profile that is independent of topological charge. PVBs can be generated through the Fourier transform of a Bessel–Gaussian beam, which typically requires a well‐aligned optical setup consisting of a spiral phase plate, an axion, and a lens. Here, based on a single‐layer dielectric metasurface, the broadband generation of PVBs across the entire visible spectrum is demonstrated. The metasurface is composed of TiO2 nanopillars acting as deep‐subwavelength half‐waveplates, and able to provide the desired geometric phase profile to an incident circularly polarized light for the generation of PVBs. Through rigorous optimization of the nanopillars’ structural parameters, the authors experimentally generate vortex beams carrying OAM with different topological charges that exhibit constant radial intensity profiles, verifying their “perfect” characteristics. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that the ellipticity and diameter of a PVB can be simultaneously controlled by adjusting the structural parameters of the metasurface, which further increases the flexibility in their design. These results open a new route towards creating ultra‐compact, flat, multifunctional nanophotonic platforms for efficient generation of structured light beams.

Partially coherent perfect vortex beam generated by an axicon phase

Vortex beams are structured light fields with a helical phase of the form exp (ilϕ) that carries an optical angular momentum (OAM) of lℏ per photon. Such beams typically have a ring-shaped intensity with a radius that varies with l. Perfect vortex (PV) beams are designed to have a radius that is approximately uniform over a certain OAM range. Here, we report how spatial coherence can be used to maintain a fixed ring shape over a larger propagation distance and for a greater OAM range than is possible for fully coherent vortex beams. Our work is relevant for the application of PV beams in areas such as trapping, tweezing, and optical communications.