Polarized Light Beam Research Articles

Ellipsometry as an express method for determining the pore parameters of ion-track SiO2templates on a silicon substrate

Due to the effective development of ion-track technology, it became possible to produce porous templates with large areas, which are of interest for mass production of nanostructures. Given that the template parameters often define properties of the resulting nanostructures and nanosystems, a reliable method for non-destructive testing is needed for a rapid control of template parameters. Such method could be ellipsometry, allowing for a single measurement to collect statistical information from a large area and to save time for certification. In order to adapt the ellipsometry method for controlling the parameters of ion-track patterns, the first studies of SiO2/Si templates with low porosity were carried out. Using the standard model of the interaction of a polarized light beam with a layered structure of silicon oxide on silicon, the basic parameters of the pores were determined by means of mathematical transformations and subsequently compared with the results of scanning electron microscopy.

Exploring the optical beam shifts in monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides using Gaussian beams

We have extensively studied Goos–Hänchen (GH) and Imbert–Fedorov (IF) shifts for reflection of a fundamental Gaussian beam using transfer matrix method. By considering a dielectric slab coated with monolayer of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC), we theoretically investigate the potential role of four different TMDC monolayers (WS2, WSe2, MoS2, and MoSe2) on the spatial and angular GH and IF shifts for reflection of the light beam that has not been explored previously. We find the nature of GH and IF shifts to be explicitly dependent on the mode of polarization of light beam. In case of partial reflection of light, both GH and IF shifts acquire moderate magnitude. In contrary, giant negative spatial GH shifts are examined for total internal reflection. Our analysis revealed that the typical characteristics of GH and IF shifts are significantly affected by the complex surface conductivity of TMDC monolayers and consequently the shifts are found to differ for different TMDC monolayers. We also present a comparison of the beam shifts for the monolayer TMDC-coated surfaces with the corresponding bulk TMDCs. Finally, we address the most significant question of how the GH and IF shifts depend upon the wavelengths of incident light, in particular, establishing the role of optical conductivity in beam shifts.

Liquid switchable radial polarization converters made of sculptured thin films

A radial polarization converter is a super-structured optical retarder that converts a conventional linearly polarized light beam into a structured beam with radial or azimuthal polarization. We present a new type of these sophisticated optical elements, which is made of porous nanostructured sculptured single thin films or multilayers prepared by physical vapor deposition at an oblique angle. They are bestowed with an axisymmetric retardation activity (with the fast axis in a radial configuration). In particular, a Bragg microcavity multilayer that exhibits a tunable transmission peak in the visible range with a retardance of up to 0.35 rad has been fabricated using this methodology. Owing to the highly porous structure of this type of thin films and multilayers, their retardance could be switched off by liquid infiltration. These results prove the possibility of developing wavelength dependent (through multilayer optical design) and switchable (through vapor condensation or liquid infiltration within the pore structure) radial polarization converters by means of oblique angle physical vapor deposition.

Modes coded modulation of vector light beams using spatial phase cross-polarized modulation

Vector light beams (VLBs), manifesting as the non-uniform spatial distribution of polarization states, have shown broad applications in increasing communication capacity. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a spatial phase cross-polarized method for achieving a mode coded modulation of VLBs. By employing the polarization sensitivity of the spatial light modulators (SLMs), the left and the right-handed circularly polarized parts of light beams are modulated with opposite spatial spiral phase to produce VLBs by the coherent combination. Manipulating the spatial phase distribution of the left and the right-handed circularly polarized light beams, the VLBs with 16 modes ([m; l]=[2, 3, 4, 5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 4, 5, 6, 7, 5, 6, 7, 8; 0, −1, −2, −3, 1, 0, −1, −2, 2, 1, 0, −1, 3, 2, 1, 0]) are obtained and used to code digital signals. In the experiment, a 60 × 60 pixels flower gray image with 14 400 quaternary numbers are then coded to the 16 modes and decoded successfully after 1 m transmission in free space. And the flower gray image is also recovered accordingly.

2π steering of surface plasmon polaritons with silicon nanoantennas

We experimentally demonstrate full-angle control over the direction of excitation of surface plasmon polaritons on thin gold film with a single silicon nanosphere. Upon oblique excitation of the nanosphere with circularly polarized light beam, the directivity pattern of the excited surface waves exhibits rapid wavelength-dependent steering, which is the result of combined action of chiral response of the nanoantenna driven by mutual interference of its magnetic and electric dipole moments and chirality of the incident wave.

Rotating light fields of an azimuthally polarized light beam generated by two-belt spiral phase modulation

ABSTRACTThe tightly focused light fields of an azimuthally polarized light beam through a two-belt spiral phase plate were investigated. The focused light fields are presented in accordance with vectorial diffraction theory. The results show that a rotating light field with different intensity patterns can be produced by altering the azimuthal polarization state and modulating the two-belt spiral phase. A concurrent change in spiral handedness in the two-belt phase plate causes the rotation to occur along the direction of propagation, and the relative angular offset in the two-belt spiral phase plate can be exploited to rotate the light fields. The proposed method is useful for engineering the intensity distribution near the focal plane and related applications.

Picosecond all-optical switching and dark pulse generation in a fibre-optic network using a plasmonic metamaterial absorber

Coherent interaction of two light waves on a film of subwavelength thickness provides remarkable opportunities for controlling intensity and polarization of light beams as well as all-optical image processing. Here, we show that such interactions can be used for optical dark pulse generation and basic all-optical signal processing in fully fiberized coherent information networks with 1 THz bandwidth. With an encapsulated plasmonic metamaterial absorber operating in the telecommunications C-band, we demonstrate switching and dark pulse generation with 1 ps laser pulses.

All-dielectric metasurface-based roll-angle sensor

We propose and demonstrate an all-dielectric metasurface-based roll-angle sensor, in which the roll angle is translated into the change of polarization state of the probe light. A circular polarization beam splitter is designed and fabricated to split the probe light into right-circularly polarized and left-circularly polarized light beams, whose intensities are then collected to estimate the roll angle. The experimental results show that the developed roll-angle sensor has a measurement resolution of 0.1° and a measurement range of 30°. The all-dielectric metasurface-based design promises to substantially reduce the size of the roll-angle sensor and is expected to gain wide applications especially on space-limited occasions.

Circularly polarized light to study linear magneto-optics for ferrofluids: θ-scan technique

Circularly polarized light can be divided into two vertically linearly polarized light beams with ±π/2 phase differences. In the presence of an external magnetic field, when circularly polarized light travels through a ferrofluid film, whose thickness is no more than that of λ/4 plate, magneto-optical, magnetic birefringence and dichroism effects cause the transmitted light to behave as elliptically polarized light. Using angular scan by a continuously rotating polarizer as analyzer, the angular (θ) distribution curve of relative intensity (T) corresponding to elliptically polarized light can be measured. From the T − θ curve having ellipsometry, the parameters such as the ratio of short to long axis, and angular orientation of the long axis to the vertical field direction can be obtained. Thus, magnetic birefringence and dichroism can be probed simultaneously by measuring magneto-optical, positive or negative birefringence and dichroism features from the transmission mode. The proposed method is called θ-scan technique, and can accurately determine sample stability, magnetic field direction, and cancel intrinsic light source ellipticity. This study may be helpful to further research done to ferrofluids and other similar colloidal samples with anisotropic optics.

Theoretical predictions of the changes in the irradiance and color of light beams traveling in sugared water caused by optical rotation phenomena, and their possible applications for educational purposes

The coloring phenomena caused by optical rotation of polarized light beams in sugared water can be an appropriate subject for use as an educational tool. In this paper, such coloring phenomena are studied in terms of theory, and the results are compared with experimental results. First, polarized laser beams in red, blue, or green were allowed to travel in sugared water of certain concentrations, and changes in the irradiance of the beams were measured while changing the distance between a pair of polarizing plates arranged in the sugared water. The angle of rotation was then determined for each color. An equation was established for predicting a theoretical value of the angle of rotation for laser beams of specific colors (wavelengths) traveling in sugared water of specific concentrations. The predicted results from the equation exhibited satisfactory agreement with the experimental values obtained from the measurements. In addition, changes in the irradiance of traveling laser beams, as well as the changes in colors observable for white light beams, were also predicted, resulting in good agreement with the observed results.

Optically adjustable valley Hall current in single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides

The illumination of a single-layer transition metal dichalcogenide with an elliptically polarized light beam is shown to give rise to a differential rate of inter-band carrier excitation between the valence and conduction states around the valley edges, K and K′. This rate with a linear dependence on the beam ellipticity and inverse of the optical gap manifests as an asymmetric Fermi distribution between the valleys or a non-equilibrium population which under an external field and a Berry curvature induced anomalous velocity, results in an externally tunable finite valley Hall current. Surface imperfections that influence the excitation rates are included through the self-consistent Born approximation. Further, we describe applications centered around circular dichroism, quantum computing, and spin torque via optically excited spin currents within the framework of the suggested formalism. A closing summary points to the possibility of extending the calculations to composite charged particles like trions. The role of the substrate in renormalizing the fundamental band gap and moderating the valley Hall current is also discussed.

Large magneto-optical Kerr effect and imaging of magnetic octupole domains in an antiferromagnetic metal.

When a polarized light beam is incident upon the surface of a magnetic material, the reflected light undergoes a polarization rotation1. This magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) has been intensively studied in a variety of ferro- and ferrimagnetic materials because it provides a powerful probe for electronic and magnetic properties2, 3 as well as for various applications including magneto-optical recording4. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in antiferromagnets (AFMs) as prospective spintronic materials for high-density and ultrafast memory devices, owing to their vanishingly small stray field and orders of magnitude faster spin dynamics compared to their ferromagnetic counterparts5-9. In fact, the MOKE has proven useful for the study and application of the antiferromagnetic (AF) state. Although limited to insulators, certain types of AFMs are known to exhibit a large MOKE, as they are weak ferromagnets due to canting of the otherwise collinear spin structure10-14. Here we report the first observation of a large MOKE signal in an AF metal at room temperature. In particular, we find that despite a vanishingly small magnetization of M ~0.002 µB/Mn, the non-collinear AF metal Mn3Sn15 exhibits a large zero-field MOKE with a polar Kerr rotation angle of 20 milli-degrees, comparable to ferromagnetic metals. Our first-principles calculations have clarified that ferroic ordering of magnetic octupoles in the non-collinear Néel state16 may cause a large MOKE even in its fully compensated AF state without spin magnetization. This large MOKE further allows imaging of the magnetic octupole domains and their reversal induced by magnetic field. The observation of a large MOKE in an AF metal should open new avenues for the study of domain dynamics as well as spintronics using AFMs.

Chiromagnetic nanoparticles and gels.

Chiral inorganic nanostructures have high circular dichroism, but real-time control of their optical activity has so far been achieved only by irreversible chemical changes. Field modulation is a far more desirable path to chiroptical devices. We hypothesized that magnetic field modulation can be attained for chiral nanostructures with large contributions of the magnetic transition dipole moments to polarization rotation. We found that dispersions and gels of paramagnetic Co3O4 nanoparticles with chiral distortions of the crystal lattices exhibited chiroptical activity in the visible range that was 10 times as strong as that of nonparamagnetic nanoparticles of comparable size. Transparency of the nanoparticle gels to circularly polarized light beams in the ultraviolet range was reversibly modulated by magnetic fields. These phenomena were also observed for other nanoscale metal oxides with lattice distortions from imprinted amino acids and other chiral ligands. The large family of chiral ceramic nanostructures and gels can be pivotal for new technologies and knowledge at the nexus of chirality and magnetism.

Enhanced second harmonic generation from a plasmonic Fano structure subjected to an azimuthally polarized light beam

We show that an azimuthally polarized beam (APB) excitation of a plasmonic Fano structure made by coupling a split-ring resonator (SRR) to a nanoarc can enhance second harmonic generation (SHG). Strikingly, an almost 30 times enhancement in SHG peak intensity can be achieved when the excitation is switched from a linearly polarized beam (LPB) to an APB. We attribute this significant enhancement of SHG to the corresponding increase in the local field intensity at the fundamental frequency of SHG, resulting from the improved conversion efficiency between the APB excitation and the plasmonic modes of the Fano structure. We also show that unlike LPB, APB excitation creates a symmetric SHG radiation pattern. This effect can be understood by considering an interference model in which the APB can change the total SHG far-field radiation by modifying the amplitudes and phases of two waves originating from the individual SRR and nanoarc of the Fano structure.

Anisotropic polarization beam splitter based on metal slit array

Polarizing beam splitter (PBS) can separate the propagating directions of two incident orthogonally polarized light beams. However, conventional PBS and multi-layered metamaterial structures are complicated and neither of them can meet the requirements for broadband characteristics due to their resonant characters. In this paper, an anisotropic beam splitter based on metal slit array of the metal-dielectric structure is proposed in order to simplify the structure and improve the beam splitting efficiency. Because of the transverse momentum generated by the inhomogeneous interface, the transverse magnetic (TM) wave is negatively reflected from the surface of the gold film after it has entered into the slit with the waveguide mode of the plasma. When the free electrons on the metal surface oscillate, the transverse electric (TE) wave parallel to the grating direction can cause electrons to oscillate along the grating direction, so that the TE light cannot enter into the slit, resulting in specular reflection. The finite element method is used to study the effects of TM and TE polarized light such as negative reflection (NR) and specular reflection (SR). The results show that when the incident angle of the polarized light is set to be in a range from 20 to 70, the incident TM light has a strong NR of about 0.9, but the TE light is weakly reflected and decreases sharply with the increase of the wavelength. The ideal NR points of the beam splitter and the perfect symmetrical response of the reflection surface are calculated, and the ideal NR point satisfies P=/(2sin 0). When the incident light angle changes, the variations of the wavelength of the negative and zero order reflection peak are different from those of TM and TE wave, which is more conducive to the tuning of the interaction between light and grating structure. The NR and SR spectral reflectance of different polarized light beams are calculated by rigorous coupled-wave analysis, and the extinction ratios in the two cases are both 106. In addition, those designs of plasmonic splitters will pave the way for the practical applications of plasmonic devices in data storages and optical holography.

Polarization and structure dependent optical characteristics of the three-arm nanoantenna with C3v symmetry and broken symmetry

The optical properties of a three-arm plasmonic nanoantenna with and without broken symmetry were analyzed in detail. For the symmetrical structure, the local electric field can be significantly enhanced and well confined within the feed gap, whilst the extinction spectrum illustrates polarization independence. With broken symmetry, multi-wavelength resonances are observed due to the single dipole resonance and dipole–dipole coupling effect, and wide tunability is also available through minor structural adjustment. Especially when illuminated by a circularly polarized light beam, the extinction and the electric field distribution can be effectively modulated by just varying the incident wavelength.

Electrically switchable photonic liquid crystal devices for routing of a polarized light wave

The new mode of LC alignment based on photoalignment AtA-2 azo dye where the refractive interface between orthogonal orientations of the LC director exists without voltage and disappeared or changed with critical voltage has been proposed. The technology to fabricate electrically controlled liquid crystal elements for spatial separation and switching of linearly polarized light beams on the basis of the total internal reflection effect has been significantly improved. Its distinctive feature is the application of a composite alignment material comprising two sublayers of Nylon-6 and AtA-2 photoalignment azo dye offering patterned liquid crystal director orientation with high alignment quality value q=0.998. The fabricated electrically controlled spatially structured liquid crystal devices enable implementation of propagation directions separation for orthogonally polarized light beams and their switching with minimal crosstalk.

Azimuthal polarization states for the optimization of a liquid crystal display Sony LCX038ARA in the pure-phase regime

A liquid crystal display is an optoelectronic device contains molecules in an intermediate state between solid and liquid. In this work are showed numerical and experimental results of the azimuthal polarization states, which are used to optimize the pure-phase modulation of a Sony LCX038ARA LCD liquid crystal display for a linear polarized light beam with wavelength 632.8nm.

Komar fluxes of circularly polarized light beams and cylindrical metrics

The mass per unit length of a cylindrical system can be found from its external metric as can its angular momentum. Can the fluxes of energy, momentum and angular momentum along the cylinder also be so found? We derive the metric of a beam of circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation from the Einstein-Maxwell equations. We show how the uniform plane wave solutions miss the angular momentum carried by the wave. We study the energy, momentum, angular momentum and their fluxes along the cylinder both for this beam and in general. The three Killing vectors of any stationary cylindrical system give three Komar flux vectors which in turn give six conserved fluxes. We elucidate Komar's mysterious factor 2 by evaluating Komar integrals for systems that have no trace to their stress tensors. The Tolman-Komar formula gives twice the energy for such systems which also have twice the gravity. For other cylindrical systems their formula gives correct results.

Photomagnetoelectric and magnetophotovoltaic effects in multiferroic BiFeO3

A polarized light beam modifies the equilibrium tensors associated with any measurable property of a crystal. The light-induced linear magnetoelectric susceptibility and electric current density of bismuth ferrite (BFO) are investigated theoretically using their expansion in Wigner spherical functions. Under illumination, the interplay between magnetoelectric and photovoltaic properties yields the emergence in the paramagnetic and multiferroic phases of BFO of linear photomagnetoelectric tensor components changing sign in domains with opposite electric polarization or magnetization, and to magnetophotocurrents changing sense in opposite ferroelectric and magnetic domains.