Spin-dependent transverse force on a vortex light beam in an inhomogeneous medium

Spin-dependent effects on vortex light beams propagating in an inhomogeneous medium are demonstrated by solving the full three-component field Maxwell equations using the perturbation analysis. It is found that the hybrid Laguerre–Gauss modes with polarization-orbital angular momentum (OAM) entanglement are the vector solutions of the Maxwell equations in a graded-index medium. Focusing of linearly and circularly polarized vortex light beams in a cylindrical graded-index medium is investigated. It is shown that the vortex light beam undergoes an additional transverse force acting differently on circular polarized beams with opposite handedness. The wave shape variation with distance taking into account the spin–orbit and nonparaxial effects is analyzed. Effect of long-term periodical revival of wave packets due to mode interference in a graded-index cylindrical optical waveguide is demonstrated.     

Polarization converter for higher-order laser beams using a single binary diffractive optical element as beam splitter

We propose a new approach to generating a pair of initial beams for a polarization converter that operates by summing up two opposite-sign circularly polarized beams. The conjugated pairs of vortex beams matched with laser modes are generated using binary diffractive optical elements (DOEs). The same binary element simultaneously serves two functions: a beam shaper and a beam splitter. Two proposed optical arrangements are compared in terms of alignment complexity and energy efficiency. The DOEs in question have been designed and fabricated. Natural experiments that demonstrate the generation of vector higher-order cylindrical beams have been conducted.     

Structure of a tightly focused vortex beam in the presence of primary coma

Structure of a tightly focused circularly polarized vortex beam in the presence of primary coma has been studied by using Debye-Wolf diffraction integral. The role of topological charge and handedness of the polarization on the focused structure has been discussed. Results have been presented for the total intensity and squares of the polarization components for left-, and right circularly polarized vortex beams. Impact of coma, on the dark core of an azimuthally polarized non-vortex beam is also investigated and compared with the dark core of a circularly polarized vortex beam. The presence of comatic aberration in the focusing system results in a positional shift of the high intensity lobes, and reduction of the intensity on one side of the center. Effect of coma on the focused structure has also been discussed in the context of STED microscopy.     

Switchable vortex beam polarization state terahertz multi-layer metasurface

We propose a switchable vortex beam polarization state terahertz multi-layer metasurface, which consists of three-layer elliptical metal crosses, four-layer dielectrics, and two-layer hollow metal circles, which are alternately superimposed. Under the normal incidence of left-handed circularly polarized (LCP) wave and the right-handed circularly polarized (RCP) waves, the proposed structure realizes three independent control functions, i.e., focused and vortex beam, vortex beam with different topological charges, and polarization states switching, and azimuth switching of two vortex beams with different polarization states. The results show that the proposed metasurface provides a new idea for investigating the multifunctional terahertz wave modulation devices.     

光在Metasurface中的自旋-轨道相互作用

探讨了光在Metasurface中的自旋-轨道相互作用, 理论分析了Metasurface 对圆偏振和线偏振光的转换. 结果表明: 光与具有空间非均匀性和各向异性性的Metasurface的相互作用导致了自旋-轨道角动量的耦合. 采用Metasurface与螺旋相位片组合在一起进行了验证实验, 所得实验结果与理论分析完全一致. 这些结论有助于我们更加深入理解Metasurface 对光的操控.     

Natural shaping of the cylindrically polarized beams

We have experimentally and theoretically shown that the circularly polarized beam bearing a singly charged optical vortex propagating through a uniaxial crystal can be split after focusing into the radially and azimuthally polarized beams in the vicinity of the focal area provided that the polarization handedness and the vortex topological charge have opposite signs.     

Nongeneric polarization singularities in combined vortex beams

Nongeneric polarization structures of singular beams formed as a coherent coaxial mixture of weighted orthogonally polarized single-charged Laguerre-Gauss modes with different radial indices are analyzed. A general solution for the superposition of elliptically orthogonally polarized partial vortex beams is obtained; the limiting special cases in which the mixed modes are linearly or circularly polarized are investigated. It is established that unusual spatially stable polarization structures such as closed C contours and L contours with a fixed azimuth of linear polarization arise in such combined beams. The results are experimentally confirmed by using a new diffraction method for testing phase singularities in optical beams.     

Polarization conversions of diffractive wave plates based on orthogonal circular-polarization holography

A polarization holographic grating, which integrates the functions of a grating and a wave plate and is called a diffractive wave plate, is recorded by two beams(left and right circularly polarized) of a 532 nm laser in an azo polymer with a liquid-crystal structure. The polarization conversion characteristics of the diffractive wave plates are investigated with a detecting light of 650 nm by metering the polarization state of first-order diffracted light.It is confirmed that the diffractive wave plates convert the incident linear polarization into circular polarization for a linearly polarized probe laser and reverse the sense of rotation of the circular polarization when the detecting light is circularly polarized light.     

Interference of circularly polarized light: contrast and application in fabrication of three-dimensional periodic microstructures

The contrast of interference pattern formed by two circularly polarized waves and by a linearly polarized wave and a circularly polarized one is discussed. The results are compared with that by two linear beams. It shows that the use of circular light in holographic fabrication of three-dimensional periodic microstructures may remove the necessity of beam ratio and polarization optimization needed in the interference of three linear noncoplanar beams and improve the uniform contrast of resultant pattern simultaneously.     

生物组织多光谱偏振特性研究

生物组织内部结构复杂且具有较强的散射特性,而光作为生物组织检测的重要信息载体,其自身特性包括颜色、幅值、偏振等都对信息获取有较大的影响.结合偏振成像,对生物组织多光谱偏振特性展开了研究,依据不同微粒尺寸的分布建立了均匀单层生物组织模型,结合瑞利和米氏散射理论模拟了基于单个微粒的两种散射事件.瑞利散射具有较好的前向后向散...     

Compound Vortex Metalens with Linearly Polarized Encryption

In view of the rapid development of nano-fabrication technology and the wide application of composite vortex fields, a kind of compound vortex metalens with polarization encryption is proposed. The proposed compound vortex metalens can simultaneously generate compound vortex beams with double annular strengths, unequal topological charges, and specific polarization states in different radial regions, which have the characteristic of higher dimensional singularity. The compound vortex metalens consisting of rectangular nanoholes works under linearly polarized light illumination, and the topological charges of the generated compound vortex beam can be modulated through rotating nanoholes. Simulation results and theoretical analysis verify the reliability of polarization-coded compound vortex beam metalens. The variation of polarized encrypted transmission field with the incident polarized angle shows the broader performance of polarization encryption compound vortex metalens. The multiple singularities and polarization encryption properties of the generated compound vortex beams combining with the integrated metasurface will be helpful for broadening the applications of singular beams.     

基于双开口谐振环超表面的宽带太赫兹涡旋光束产生

提出了一种基于双开口谐振环单元结构超表面的太赫兹宽带涡旋光束产生器.该结构由金属-电介质两层构成,位于顶层的是基于双开口谐振环单元结构的超表面,底层为介质层.对单元结构阵列进行数值仿真,圆偏振的入射光可以被转换成相应的交叉偏振透射光,通过旋转表层金属谐振环,可以控制交叉偏振透射光具有相同的振幅和不同的相位.这些单元结构按照特定的规律排列,可以形成用以产生不同拓扑荷数的涡旋光束的涡旋相位板.以拓扑荷数1和2为例,设计了两种涡旋相位板,数值分析了圆偏振波垂直入射到该涡旋相位板生成交叉圆偏振涡旋光束的特性.结果表明,在1.39—1.91 THz的频率范围内产生了比较理想的不同拓扑荷数的涡旋光束,且透过率高于20%,最高可达到24%,接近单层透射式超表面的理论极限值.     

Rotating vectorial vortices produced by space-variant subwavelength gratings

A new class of vectorial vortex based on coherent addition of two orthogonal circularly polarized Bessel beams of identical order but with different propagation constants is presented. The transversely space-variant axially symmetric polarization distributions of these vectorial fields rotate as they propagate, while they maintain a propagation-invariant Bessel intensity distribution. These properties were demonstrated by use of discrete space-variant subwavelength gratings for 10.6 microm CO2 laser radiation. The polarization properties were verified by both full space-variant polarization analysis and measurements. Rotating intensity patterns are also demonstrated by transmitting the vectorial vortices through a linear polarizer.     

球差对圆偏涡旋贝塞耳-高斯光束聚焦场的影响

利用理查德-沃耳夫矢量衍射积分,分析了初级球差对圆偏振涡旋贝塞耳-高斯光束聚焦光场的影响,获得不同球差系数下的光强分布.结果表明,当初级球差系数增加,会聚光点偏离系统焦平面,纵向光场发生改变;焦点光强逐渐减小,焦平面光场发生变化;光轴上光强峰值逐渐减小,峰值两侧的旁瓣变化趋势相反,光强由对称分布变成非对称分布;初级球差对贝塞耳-高斯光束聚焦光场的影响不依赖其偏振态;离焦无法完全补偿初级球差对聚焦光场的影响.     

Experimental verification on tightly focused radially polarized vortex beams

The theoretical and experimental results of tightly focused radially polarized vortex beams are demonstrated. An auto-focus technology is introduced into the measurement system in order to enhance the measurement precision, and the radially polarized vortex beams are generated by a liquid-crystal polarization converter and a vortex phase plate. The focused fields of radially polarized vortex beams with different topological charges at numerical apertures （NAs） of 0.65 and 0.85 are measured respectively, and the results indicate that the total intensity distribution at focus is dependent not only on the NA of the focusing objective lens and polarization pattern of the beam but also on the topological charge l of the beam. Some unique focusing properties of radially polarized vortex beams with fractional topological charges are presented based on numerical calculations. The experimental verification paves the way for some practical applications of radially polarized vortex beams, such as in optical trapping, near-field microscopy, and material processing.     

Fast switchable electro-optic radial polarization retarder

A fast and switchable electro-optic radial polarization retarder (EO-RPR) fabricated using the electro-optic ceramic Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O(3)-PbTiO(3) is presented. This EO-RPR is useful for fast and switchable generation of a pure cylindrical vector beam. When used together with a pair of half-wave plates, the EO-RPR can change circularly polarized light into any cylindrical vector beam of interest, such as radially or azimuthally polarized light. Radially and azimuthally polarized light with purities greater than 95% are generated experimentally. The advantages of using EO-RPR include fast response time, low driving voltage, and transparency in a wide spectral range (500 to 7,000 nm).     

Higher-order Poincaré sphere, stokes parameters, and the angular momentum of light

A higher-order Poincaré sphere and Stokes parameter representation of the higher-order states of polarization of vector vortex beams that includes radial and azimuthal polarized cylindrical vector beams is presented. The higher-order Poincaré sphere is constructed by naturally extending the Jones vector basis of plane wave polarization in terms of optical spin angular momentum to the total optical angular momentum that includes higher dimensional orbital angular momentum. The salient properties of this representation are illustrated by its ability to describe the higher-order modes of optical fiber waveguides, more exotic vector beams, and a higher-order Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase.     

STED microscopy based on axially symmetric polarized vortex beams

A stimulated emission depletion(STED) microscopy scheme using axially symmetric polarized vortex beams is proposed based on unique focusing properties of such kinds of beams. The concept of axially symmetric polarized vortex beams is first introduced, and the basic principle about the scheme is described. Simulation results for several typical beams are then shown, including radially polarized vortex beams, azimuthally polarized vortex beams, and high-order axially symmetric polarized vortex beams. The results indicate that sharper doughnut spots and thus higher resolutions can be achieved, showing more flexibility than previous schemes based on flexible modulation of both phase and polarization for incident beams.     

Inscription of holographic gratings using circularly polarized light: influence of the optical set-up on the birefringence and surface relief grating properties

The polarization properties of the optical set-up used for holographic recording of diffraction gratings on azopolymer thin films are analyzed. The state of polarization of circularly polarized light is fully analyzed after reflection on a mirror at various incidences (Lloyd-mirror set-up). The Stokes analysis is performed using a photopolarimeter and the phase shift, the ellipticity and the azimuth orientation are compared with those calculated from Fresnel formulae. At large angles of incidence, an initially right circularly polarized (RCP) beam becomes elliptically polarized with an azimuth of nearly +45°. From these results, holographic diffraction gratings are recorded on an azobenzene-containing polymer thin film using (i) co- and contra-circularly polarized beams and (ii) a right circularly polarized beam interfering with a +45° linearly polarized light beam. Using Jones-matrix formalism, the polarization states of the diffracted orders from the birefringence (Δn) and the surface-relief (2Δd) gratings are derived and compared with experimental measurements. Finally, the induced local birefringences and surface-relief amplitudes are discussed in connection with atomic force microscopy measurements. The diffraction efficiencies obtained under the (+45°+RCP) and (LCP + RCP) (where LCP = left circularly polarized) configurations are thus compared and discussed. Received: 5 October 2001 / Revised version: 26 November 2001 / Published online: 17 January 2002     

Manipulating Spin-Dependent Wavefronts of Vortex Beams via Plasmonic Metasurfaces

Conventional metasurfaces based on geometric phase are constrained to spin-locked phase profile, resulting in mirrored functionalities for different spins. A single flat device that enables independent manipulation of wavefronts in two orthogonal circularly polarized channels is of paramount importance in wireless and optical communications. In this work, by tuning the dimension and rotation angle of H-shaped meta-atoms to synthesize propagating phase and geometric phase, spin-dependent plasmonic metasurfaces are presented to manipulate circularly polarized waves in the visible band. To verify the capability of spin-dependent wavefront manipulation, three metasurfaces are implemented. The first metasurface generates vortex beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM) l = 1 under left-handed circularly polarized (LCP) incidence and l = 2 under right-handed circularly polarized (RCP) incidence. By introducing convolution operation, the second metasurface is capable of producing vortex beams with different OAMs and different directions for two spins. The third metasurface produces dual-beam and quad-beam with different OAMs for different circular polarizations. This scheme can provide a new pathway in ultracompact nanophotonic devices and systems.