Production of radially and azimuthally polarized polychromatic beams

We describe a system that efficiently provides radially or azimuthally polarized radiation from a randomly polarized source. It is constructed from two conical reflectors and a cylindrical sheet of polarizing film. Envisaged applications include a microscope illuminator for high-resolution surface plasmon resonance microscopy, illumination for high-resolution microlithography, and efficient coupling of a laser source to hollow optical fibers. The angular coherence function of light polarized by the device was measured to evaluate its usefulness for these applications.     

Efficient extracavity generation of radially and azimuthally polarized beams

We demonstrate an efficient transformation of a linearly polarized Gaussian beam to a radially or an azimuthally polarized doughnut (0,1)* Laguerre-Gaussian beam of high purity. We use a spatially variable retardation plate, composed of eight sectors of a lambda/2 retardation plate, to transform a linear polarization distribution to radial/azimuthal distribution. We transformed an Nd:YAG Gaussian beam with M(2)=1.3 to a radially and azimuthally polarized (0,1)* Laguerre-Gaussian beams with M(2)=2.5 and degree of radial/azimuthal polarization of 96-98%.     

Forces in optical tweezers with radially and azimuthally polarized trapping beams

It has been suggested that radially polarized beams can be used to improve the performance of optical tweezers, with reduced scattering force resulting from both the polarization and the dark center of the beam [Opt. Lett. 32, 1839 (2007)]. We calculate the forces on particles in such traps, using rigorous electromagnetic theory, comparing the results with azimuthally polarized beam, circularly polarized LG 01 beams, and Gaussian beams. Our results agree qualitatively with Opt. Lett. 32, 1839 (2007), but differ quantitatively.     

Circular grating coupler for creating focused azimuthally and radially polarized beams

We show a planar optical circuit design that takes light from an input waveguide and creates a focused azimuthally or radially polarized beam emanating from the surface of the substrate. It is implemented in silicon-on-insulator waveguides and does not require any external components to focus the beam. The focal spot size can be subwavelength and is potentially useful for lithography, imaging, optical data storage, optical trapping, optical excitation of molecules, or coupling to optical fibers.     

Generation of azimuthally and radially polarized beams by coherent polarization beam combination

A new architecture for generating pure azimuthally and radially polarized beams is presented. It involves coherent polarization beam combination of two orthogonally polarized LP(11) fiber modes. Experimental results reveal that high purely polarized (polarization purity of 95% or better) azimuthal and radial beams can be generated.     

Propagation and parametric characterization of the polarization structure of paraxial radially and azimuthally polarized beams

Analytical expressions are provided for describing the free-space evolution of the polarization structure of paraxial beams whose electric-field vector at some transverse plane exhibits either a radially or an azimuthally polarized behavior. At each transverse plane, the polarization distribution across the beam profile is characterized by means of two sets of parameters, namely, the so-called (local) radial Stokes representation, and the (overall) percentage of the irradiance associated with the radial and azimuthal field components. The propagation laws for these sets of parameters are also shown. As an illustrative example, a radially polarized beam is analized whose wavefront contains a spiral phase factor.     

Simple method for reducing the depolarization loss resulting from thermally induced birefringence in solid-state lasers

A simple technique for reducing the loss that is due to depolarization resulting from thermally induced stress birefringence in solid-state lasers is reported. The technique uses a single intracavity quarter-wave plate with its fast or slow axis aligned parallel to the preferred plane of polarization, defined by an intracavity polarizer. This technique has been applied to a diode-bar-pumped Nd:YAG laser operating at 946 nm, resulting in a measured reduction in depolarization loss from ~1.7% to ~0.0006% and yielding a diffraction-limited, TEM(00) , linearly polarized output power of 2.9 W for an incident pump power of 14.3 W.     

A high-efficient method for generating radially and azimuthally polarized Bessel beams using biaxial crystals

As was shown previously, in propagation of a circularly polarized Bessel light beam along the optical axes of a biaxial crystal, there takes place the conversion of the order of Bessel function. In this paper, a new result is presented which is obtained by varying the polarization state of an input beam. Namely, a linearly polarized beam can be transformed into a beam with the radial or azimuthal polarization state. At that the order-transformation also occurs. The switching between radial and azimuthal polarization states of the output beam is performed by the proper switching between two orthogonal linear polarization states of the input beam. The efficiency of polarization conversion is high and can be practically full at an appropriate choice of the cone angle of the input beam or crystal length.     

Three-dimensional multiple optical cages formed by focusing double-ring shaped radially and azimuthally polarized beams

We propose and simulate a method for generating a three-dimensional(3D) optical cage in the vicinity of focus by focusing a double-ring shaped radially and azimuthally polarized beam. Our study shows that the combination of an inner ring with an azimuthally polarized field and an outer ring with a radially polarized field and a phase factor can produce an optical cage with a dark region enclosed by higher intensity. The shape of the cage can be tailored by appropriately adjusting the parameters of double-mode beams. Furthermore, multiple 3D optical cages can be realized by applying the shift theorem of the Fourier transform and macro-pixel sampling algorithm to a double-ring shaped radially and azimuthally polarized beam.     

Propagation of radially polarized beams in the oceanic turbulence

Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle and the unified theory of coherence and polarization of light, we investigate the propagation properties of a radially polarized beam through turbulent ocean. Analytic formulae for the spectral density, the spectral degree of polarization, and the beam characteristics of such a beam on propagation are discussed. It is shown that under the influence of oceanic turbulence, the radially polarized beam will change to a partially polarized one and the beam profile will approach to a Gaussian distribution.     

Waveguide properties of single subwavelength holes demonstrated with radially and azimuthally polarized light

We investigate the transmission of focused beams through single subwavelength holes in a silver film. We use radially and azimuthally polarized light to excite higher-order waveguide modes as well as to match the radial symmetry of the aperture geometry. Remarkably, the transmission properties can be described by a classical waveguide model even for thicknesses of the silver film as thin as a quarter of a wavelength. PACS  42.25.Bs; 42.25.Ja; 42.79.Gn     

Locking bandwidth and birefringence effects for polarized optical injection in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of external optical injection taking account of polarization and electron spin properties in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). Using external polarized injection we seek the locked phases and amplitudes of specific polarized fields in terms of injection level and frequency detuning, taking account of two kinds of distinguishable carrier density (spin-up and spin-down). For the conventional form of optical injection without taking account of spin-polarized fields there are three fundamental equations describing the carrier density, field amplitude and phase. However, by using the spin flip model (SFM), the combined effect of polarized fields along two perpendicular crystal axes and electron spin properties results in six equations. We analyse the conditions for stable locking and also the influence of birefringence effects on the stability map of detuning versus optical injection for both cases of injection polarized parallel and perpendicular to the lasing mode of the solitary VCSEL. For given values of pumping and spin relaxation rate there is a minimum birefringence rate for orthogonal injection. Above this value three regions of elliptical polarization are found in the stability map, namely “quasi-stability” (QS), “coupled limit cycle” (CLC) and “coupled chaos” (CC). The three regions of linear polarization, namely chaos, limit cycle and stability, are reduced in area compared to the case of parallel injection. For orthogonal injection it is found that increased birefringence or reduced spin relaxation rate causes the stable locking region to begin at higher injected power and frequency detuning.     

Tight focusing of radially polarized Gaussian and Bessel-Gauss beams

We examine the effects of tightly focusing a radially polarized beam with uniform, Gaussian, or Bessel-Gauss pupil functions. The resulting FWHM is smallest for the case of a uniform amplitude profile, while the Bessel-Gauss beam results in the largest FWHM. The uniform amplitude profile also results in an axial field component that increases fastest with increasing NA. The ratio of the axial component to the transverse component is also the greatest for the uniform pupil function. On the other hand, the Bessel-Gauss beam benefits the most from the use of an annulus.     

Beam quality changes of radially and azimuthally polarized fields propagating through quartic phase plates

In terms of the so-called irradiance moments of a light field, the beam quality change, ΔQ, of radially and azimuthally polarized beams caused by propagation through a quartic phase plate (as occurs, for example, in strongly pumped laser rods used in high-power solid-state lasers) is studied. Analytical expressions for ΔQ are given, and a comparison between the scalar and vectorial regimes is also shown. The results are applied to several cases of interest.     

Spatial correlation properties of apertured partially coherent radially polarized beams in turbulent atmosphere

Based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel integral, the analytical formulae for the cross-spectral density matrix of the partially coherent radially polarized beams diffracted at a circular aperture in turbulent atmosphere are derived. The unapertured and free-space cases can be viewed as the special cases of our general result. By using the degree of coherence formula, the spatial correlation properties of the apertured partially coherent radially polarized beams in turbulent atmosphere are studied. The analyses indicate that the spatial correlation of the apertured partially coherent radially polarized beams are more affected by the atmospheric turbulence with the larger structure constant, the smaller truncation parameter, the larger coherence length, and the farther propagation distance.     

Generation of high power and high stability azimuthally polarized beams in a Nd:YAG laser

Generation of high stability and high power azimuthally polarized beams is demonstrated in a Nd:YAG laser by inserting an optimum aperture in the cavity. The location and the size of the aperture are optimized by analyzing the mode-radius, stability and mode selectivity of the cavity with a transfer matrix method. Experiments are performed in a Nd:YAG laser with a flat-flat resonator, and the results are concordant with the theoretical predictions. A 10 W azimuthally polarized beam with the standard deviation of the output power less than 0.6% is obtained.     

Improved measurements of thermally induced birefringence effects in a laser material using a half-wave plate

The polarization dependence of a probe beam for use in measuring thermally induced birefringence effects in a laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YAG ceramic laser has been investigated. The variation in intensity of the probe beam was found to be 10.2% for a linearly polarized probe beam, 20.6% for a circularly polarized probe beam, and 31.4% for a circularly polarized probe beam using a half-wave plate with a pump power of 12 W. The angle between the analyzer and the inclination of the major axis of the elliptical polarization with respect to the x axis was controlled using a half-wave plate. By combining a half-wave plate with a circularly polarized probe beam, the variation in intensity increased compared with conventional methods.     

Production and applications of monoenergetic polarized positron beams

The generation and applications of monoenergetic, high intensity, spin-polarized positron (e⁺) beams are reviewed. Techniques for obtaining highly polarized beams are discussed. Applications include studies of surface and bulk magnetism, studies of optically active molecules, tests of discrete symmetries, and polarized antiproton production.     

Intensity and spatial correlation properties of tightly focused partially coherent radially polarized vortex beams

By expanding the Debye theory into the tight focusing of partially coherent field, the intensity and spatial correlation properties of partially coherent radially polarized vortex beams are studied. Expressions are derived for the intensity distribution and the spectral degree of coherence in the focal region. It is found that the intensity and the transverse and longitudinal coherence degrees in the focal region change with the variation of the topological charge and coherence length of the vortex beam. In addition, the degree of coherence is shown to exhibit phase singularities.     

Nonparaxial propagation of radially polarized chirped Airy beams in uniaxial crystal orthogonal to the optical axis

The nonparaxial propagation of radially polarized chirped Airy beams(RPCAiBs) in uniaxial crystal orthogonal to the optical axis is analytically studied. The effects of the first and the second order chirp factors, and the ratio of the extraordinary refractive index to the ordinary refractive index on the nonparaxial evolution of RPCAi Bs in different observation planes are investigated in detail. The results show that when one parameter changes, different components behave differently, and even the same component has various behavior in different directions. The initial slope of RPCAi Bs in the x-direction varies more with the first order chirp factor than that in the y-direction. Meanwhile, with the second order chirp factor becoming larger, the depth of the focus of the y-component in the x-direction decreases while that in the y-direction has no difference. In addition, the different ratios of the extraordinary refractive index to the ordinary refractive index change the difference of the depth of the focus between the x-and the y-components.