Structured Light Fields Research Articles

Local characterization of the polarization state of 3D electromagnetic fields: an alternative approach

A precise knowledge of the polarization state of light is crucial in technologies that involve the generation and application of structured light fields. The implementation of efficient methods to determine and characterize polarization states is mandatory; more importantly, these structured light fields must be at any spatial location at a low expense. Here, we introduce a new characterization method that relies on a rather convenient description of electric fields without neglecting their 3D nature. This method is particularly suitable for highly focused fields, which exhibit important polarization contributions along their propagation direction in the neighborhood of the focal region; i.e., the contributions out of the planes transverse to the optical axis, conventionally used to specify the polarization state of these fields. As shown, the method allows the extraction of information about the three field components at relatively low computational and experimental costs. Furthermore, it also allows characterization of the polarization state of a field in a rather simple manner. To check the feasibility and reliability of the method, we determined both analytically and experimentally the local polarization states for a series of benchmark input fields with it, finding excellent agreement between the theory and experiment.

Structured transverse orbital angular momentum probed by a levitated optomechanical sensor

The momentum carried by structured light fields exhibits a rich array of surprising features. In this work, we generate transverse orbital angular momentum (TOAM) in the interference field of two parallel and counter-propagating linearly-polarised focused beams, synthesising an array of identical handedness vortices carrying intrinsic TOAM. We explore this structured light field using an optomechanical sensor, consisting of an optically levitated silicon nanorod, whose rotation is a probe of the optical angular momentum, which generates an exceptionally large torque. This simple creation and direct observation of TOAM will have applications in studies of fundamental physics, the optical manipulation of matter and quantum optomechanics.

Space-time wave packets with both arbitrary transverse and longitudinal accelerations.

The group velocity in the free space of space-time wave packets (STWPs) and light bullets can be flexibly regulated by many advanced strategies; however, these regulations are restricted to only the longitudinal group velocity. In this work, a computational model based on catastrophe theory is proposed, to devise STWPs with both arbitrary transverse and longitudinal accelerations. In particular, we investigate the attenuation-free Pearcey-Gauss STWP, which enriches the family of non-diffracting STWPs. This work may advance the development of space-time structured light fields.

Back-propagation-assisted inverse design of structured light fields for given profiles of optical force

Abstract Designing a monochromatic spatially-structured light field that recovers the pre-specified profile of optical force (OF) exerted on a particle is an inverse problem. It usually requires high dimensional optimization and involves lengthy calculations, thus remaining little studied despite decades of research on OF. We report here the first attempt to attack this inverse design problem. The modus operandi relies on the back-propagation algorithm, which is facilitated by the currently available machine learning framework, and, in particular, by an exact and efficient expression of OF that shows only polynomial and trigonometric functional dependence on the engineered parameters governing the structured light field. Two illustrative examples are presented in which the inversely designed structured light fields reproduce, respectively, a predefined spatial pattern of OF and a negative longitudinal OF in a transversely trapping area.

Cascaded mode converter for generating high-order Poincaré sphere beams of multiple different orders

Structured light fields, especially high-order Poincaré sphere (HOPS) beams, are attracting increasing attention for their intriguing properties and extensive applications. Here, we demonstrate a cascaded mode converter for generating HOPS beams of different orders. The cascaded mode converter is composed of q-plates and half waveplates, which realize switchable generation of HOPS beams of multiple different orders with reliable performance. Exponential growth of the available number of HOPS beams of different orders is achieved. The local polarization state and the order of the HOPS beams can be used as two degrees of freedom to encode 2 bits of information. The proposed method makes it possible to generate multiple and ultrahigh order Poincaré sphere beams and may have potential application in communication systems.

Low-light-level spin–orbit splitting via structured light cross-Kerr interaction in coherent atomic media

We explore the spin–orbit coupling (SOC) mechanism for structured light in coherent atomic media with low-light-level cross-Kerr nonlinearity. Using the five-level M-type electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) system as a prototype, we show that spin–orbit splitting for a weak spinor image can be generated by a weak trigger field carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) at low-light intensity. By quantum-optical analogy, the paraxial focusing and defocusing of the two pseudo-spin states in the spinor image can be governed by a Pauli-like equation. More importantly, by changing the EIT parameters, especially the topological charge of the weak trigger field, the SOC-induced radial quantization of the spinor image can be rather significant, giving rise to positive or negative OAM-OAM mode separation in free space. This suggests that the separation can be flexibly controlled due to strong image-vortex interaction based on few-photon cross-Kerr modulation. Our findings may have the potential for all-optical OAM multiplexing and demultiplexing of structured light fields toward few-photon quantum control and multimode communication.

Plasmonic Metasurfaces for Superposition of Profile-Tunable Tightly Focused Vector Beams and Generation of the Structured Light

Vector beams (VBs) and their superposition have found important applications in versatile fields such as optical communications, super-resolution microscopy and quantum information, and metasurfaces have enabled the miniaturization and integration of the optical systems manipulating the vector beams, providing potential applications to subwavelength regimes. In this work, we propose a metasurface to realize the superposition of profile-tunable tightly focused VBs, with the novel structured light fields generated. The metasurface is composed of two sets of orthogonal-nanoslit pairs arranged on the inner and outer rings. By realizing the chiral conversion of circularly polarized light with the slit-pairs which act as half-wave plates, and by creating helical phase profiles of optical vortices with the geometrical phase of rotational nano-slit pairs, two focused Bessel VBs are formed. By finely varying the diameters of two sets of rings, the doughnuts of the two Bessel VBs of different orders are tuned to be of the same size, and the superposition of the two VBs is realized. The theoretical analyses of the superimposed fields were presented, the FDTD simulations were performed to optimize the designed metasurfaces, and the experimental measurements were carried out to validate feasibility of the metasurface. The novel and interesting characteristics of the superposed fields different from those of the conventional VBs were demonstrated. This work will be of significance for classical and quantum applications of VBs in various fields.

Switchable optical ring lattice in free space.

Optical lattices with spatially regular structures have recently attracted considerable attention across physics and optics communities. In particular, due to the increasing emergence of new structured light fields, diverse lattices with rich topology are being generated via multi-beam interference. Here, we report a specific ring lattice with radial lobe structures generated via superposition of two ring Airy vortex beams (RAVBs). We show that the lattice morphology evolves upon propagation in free space, switching from a bright-ring lattice to dark-ring lattice and even to fascinating multilayer texture. This underlying physical mechanism is related to the variation of the unique intermodal phase between the RAVBs as well as topological energy flow with symmetry breaking. Our finds provide an approach for engineering customized ring lattices to inspire a wide variety of new applications.

Sidelobe suppression in structured light sheet fluorescence microscopy by the superposition of two light sheets.

Light sheet microscopy has emerged as a powerful technique for three-dimensional and long-term vivo imaging within neuroscience and developmental biology. A light sheet illumination with structured light fields allows a better tradeoff between the field of view and axial resolution but suffers from strong side lobes. Here, we propose a method of producing structured light sheet illumination with suppressed side lobes by applying the superposition of two light sheets. The side lobe suppression results from the destructive interference between the side lobes and constructive interference between the main lobe of the two light sheets. In the proposed method, the incident light pattern in the rear pupil plane of the illumination objective is a combination of the incident light line beams required for the generation of the two interfering light sheets. We present a fast and simple calculation method to determine the incident light pattern in the rear pupil plane. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed sidelobe suppression method for double-line light sheet, four-line light sheet, as well as line Bessel sheet. In particular, an 81% decrease in the relative side lobe energy can be achieved in case of double-line light sheet with an almost nonchanging propagation length. We show a way of using combined incident light patterns to generate structured light sheets with interference-resulted side lobe suppression, which is straightforward in design and with advantages of improved imaging performance.

Controlling Magnetic and Electric Nondipole Effects with Synthesized Two Perpendicularly Propagating Laser Fields

Nondipole effects are ubiquitous and crucial in light-matter interaction. However, they are too weak to be directly observed. In strong-field physics, motion of electrons is mainly confined in transverse plane of light fields, which suppresses the significance of nondipole effects. Here, we present a theoretical study on enhancing and controlling the nondipole effect by using the synthesized two perpendicularly propagating laser fields. We calculate the three-dimensional photoelectron momentum distributions of strong-field tunneling ionization of hydrogen atoms using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo model and show that the nondipole effects are noticeably enhanced in such laser fields due to their remarkable influences on the sub-cycle photoelectron dynamics. In particular, we reveal that the magnitudes of the magnetic and electric components of nondipole effects can be separately controlled by modulating the ellipticity and amplitude of driving laser fields. This novel scenario holds promising applications for future studies with ultrafast structured light fields.

Topological transformation and free-space transport of photonic hopfions

Structured light fields embody strong spatial variations of polarization, phase, and amplitude. Understanding, characterization, and exploitation of such fields can be achieved through their topological properties. Three-dimensional (3D) topological solitons, such as hopfions, are 3D localized continuous field configurations with nontrivial particle-like structures that exhibit a host of important topologically protected properties. Here, we propose and demonstrate photonic counterparts of hopfions with exact characteristics of Hopf fibration, Hopf index, and Hopf mapping from real-space vector beams to homotopic hyperspheres representing polarization states. We experimentally generate photonic hopfions with on-demand high-order Hopf indices and independently controlled topological textures, including Néel-, Bloch-, and antiskyrmionic types. We also demonstrate a robust free-space transport of photonic hopfions, thus showing the potential of hopfions for developing optical topological informatics and communications.

Controllable customization of optical vortex lattices with coherent laser array

The customization of optical vortices with controllable structures is of fundamental importance for promoting various applications such as materials processing, optical communication, and optical tweezers. Here, a model of coherent beam combining (CBC) architecture was proposed to customize the exotic light beams array with controllable structures. The simulated results revealed that the optical vortex lattice (OVL) with multi-modes can be generated in the far field, and a proof-of-concept experiment was carried out for further verification. The experiment results were in a high degree of fidelity with the simulated results, indicating that the controllable structures could be generated efficiently by using the CBC architecture. The phenomenon of generated hollow beam having no orbital angular momentum (OAM) and the OVL copying can be observed. Furthermore, the phase detection experimental results verified the OAM states, the topological charge (TC) could be modulated from −2 to + 2. This work may present a new understanding of generating and manipulating the structured light fields.

Structured Light Field Single-Shot 3D Imaging Algorithm Based on Adaptive Short-Term Fourier Transform

Structured Light Field Single-Shot 3D Imaging Algorithm Based on Adaptive Short-Term Fourier Transform

Securing Data in Multimode Fibers by Exploiting Mode-Dependent Light Propagation Effects.

Multimode fibers hold great promise to advance data rates in optical communications but come with the challenge to compensate for modal crosstalk and mode-dependent losses, resulting in strong distortions. The holographic measurement of the transmission matrix enables not only correcting distortions but also harnessing these effects for creating a confidential data connection between legitimate communication parties, Alice and Bob. The feasibility of this physical-layer-security-based approach is demonstrated experimentally for the first time on a multimode fiber link to which the eavesdropper Eve is physically coupled. Once the proper structured light field is launched at Alice's side, the message can be delivered to Bob, and, simultaneously, the decipherment for an illegitimate wiretapper Eve is destroyed. Within a real communication scenario, we implement wiretap codes and demonstrate confidentiality by quantifying the level of secrecy. Compared to an uncoded data transmission, the amount of securely exchanged data is enhanced by a factor of 538. The complex light transportation phenomena that have long been considered limiting and have restricted the widespread use of multimode fiber are exploited for opening new perspectives on information security in spatial multiplexing communication systems.

Structured Light Laser Based on Intra-Cavity Modulation

Structured light fields carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) have been widely studied, and a variety of applications have been found. The exploration of the generation of the structured light beams with higher purity, order, and efficiency has become an inevitable trend. In early years, structured light beams are normally generated with the extra-cavity methods, as it is simpler in principle. However, the intra-cavity generation of the structured light has a better beam purity and higher light conversion efficiency. Here, the current advance in the production of structured light directly from lasers based on spatial light modulators (SLMs), metasurfaces, and microrings is reviewed.

Generalized nondipole strong-field approximation of high-order harmonic generation

The strong-field approximation (SFA) is a widely used theoretical framework that describes the process of high-order harmonic generation of atoms and molecules. Here, we propose a generalization of the dipole SFA towards weakly relativistic contributions to the laser-electron interaction. These weakly relativistic contributions are closely related to the spatial structure of the light field and imply a correction of the relativistic order $1/c$. Within this generalized nondipole SFA (GN-SFA), we demonstrate how to obtain explicit results and discuss their physical aspects. This approach enables one to investigate the nondipole effects of linear polarized plane waves as well as the influence of structured light fields, such as twisted light, that have not yet been captured by the currently available models. In order to utilize our generalized nondipole SFA, we consider a linearly polarized plane wave and demonstrate the decrease of the harmonic yield that is directly related to the nondipole effects of the laser field. Furthermore, we discuss the GN-SFA with regard to other nondipole SFA approaches by determining their physical and mathematical context. Finally, the GN-SFA is a powerful theoretical framework that extends the nonrelativistic SFA rigorously to the weakly relativistic regime and therefore will be a useful model for further theoretical investigations.

Structured Light Field by Two Projectors Placed in Parallel for High-Speed and Precise 3D Feedback

In recent years, it is required to acquire three-dimensional information at high speed in various fields. Previously, a structured light field (SLF) method for high-speed three dimensional measurement in 1 ms was proposed by our group. However, the SLF method has a drawback of worse depth estimation error by several tens millimeters. In this paper, a novel method to generate SLF with two projectors placed in parallel is proposed. This arrangement could produce bigger pattern change depending on the depth and made more precise estimation possible. The depth estimation experiments for precision evaluation and dynamic projection mapping experiment successfully demonstrated precise depth estimation with the error of several millimeters and high-speed estimation within 1 ms, though the measurement range was limited to approximately 100 mm.

Longitudinal optical trapping and manipulating Rayleigh particles by spatial nonuniform coherence engineering

Focused structured light fields with spatially nonuniform correlation can exhibit multiple focal points in the longitudinal direction, which suggests that they are suitable for longitudinal optical trapping. Due to the controllable nature of the longitudinal intensity distribution, this class of structured light fields not only can trap two high-index particles simultaneously, but also can manipulate them in the longitudinal direction.

Advancing 3D shaping of vectorial light by counter-propagation of self-healing scalar and vector Bessel–Gaussian beams

It is well known that counter-propagation of structured light fields allows shaping of three-dimensional (3D) structures in amplitude, phase, or polarization. Here, we numerically demonstrate the potential of implementing non-diffracting Bessel–Gaussian (BG) beams for advancing this approach by taking advantage of its characteristic propagation behavior. In this context, we investigate the self-healing property in this counter-propagating configuration, observing a spin angular momentum (SAM) variation and the formation of a continuous orbital angular momentum (OAM) gradient in longitudinal direction. Additionally, by counter-propagation of BG beams of different types, namely, scalar and vector BG beams, we are able to increase the complexity of accessible 3D structured fields, revealing combined amplitude, phase, and polarization modulation in all spatial dimensions. Thereby, the SAM and OAM of the input light fields can be used to design the resulting 3D structure and its angular momenta. The presented light fields open new possibilities for customized optical trapping potentials and allow new insights into fundamental spin–orbit interaction in counter-propagating superpositions of structured fields.

Complex-amplitude Fourier single-pixel imaging via coherent structured illumination

We propose a method of complex-amplitude Fourier single-pixel imaging (CFSI) with coherent structured illumination to acquire both the amplitude and phase of an object. In the proposed method, an object is illustrated by a series of coherent structured light fields, which are generated by a phase-only spatial light modulator, the complex Fourier spectrum of the object can be acquired sequentially by a single-pixel photodetector. Then the desired complex-amplitude image can be retrieved directly by applying an inverse Fourier transform. We experimentally implemented this CFSI with several different types of objects. The experimental results show that the proposed method provides a promising complex-amplitude imaging approach with high quality and a stable configuration. Thus, it might find broad applications in optical metrology and biomedical science.