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.     

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%.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

4Pi focusing of spatially modulated radially polarized vortex beams

We propose a method for generating focal beams with special intensity distributions using radially polarized vortex beams in a 4Pi configuration. A spherical dark-hollow beam and hollow beam array can be obtained by vortex beams with topological charge of m=1. A dark channel can be generated using vortex beams with topological charge of m=2. The length of the well-defined hollow beam array and the dark channel is about 30λ. These interesting beams are useful in optical trapping and manipulation.     

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.     

J0相干角向偏振涡旋光束的深聚焦

通过矢量德拜理论,研究了J0相干角向偏振涡旋光束深聚焦的性质。推导了在焦点区域的光强分布、光谱相干度和偏振度的表达式。数值模拟结果表明,光强分布、相干度和偏振度不仅依赖于相干长度和数值孔径最大角,而且依赖于拓扑电荷数。这种光束在焦平面还可获得非常小的焦点和焦洞。     

J0相干角向偏振涡旋光束的深聚焦

通过矢量德拜理论,研究了J0相干角向偏振涡旋光束深聚焦的性质。推导了在焦点区域的光强分布、光谱相干度和偏振度的表达式。数值模拟结果表明,光强分布、相干度和偏振度不仅依赖于相干长度和数值孔径最大角,而且依赖于拓扑电荷数。这种光束在焦平面还可获得非常小的焦点和焦洞。     

Effect of complex phase plate on tight focusing of azimuthally polarized double ring shaped beam

Based on the vector diffraction theory, the effect of complex phase plate on the intensity distribution of TEM₁₁ mode azimuthally polarized Laguerre–Gaussian beam in the focal region of high NA lens is investigated theoretically. It is observed that a properly designed complex phase plate can generate a subwavelength focal hole having FWHM of 0.332λ with an extended focal depth of 54.4λ. We also observe that by using properly designed complex phase plate generates novel focal patterns including splitting of focal holes and multi focus are obtained. The author expects such investigation is worthwhile for optical manipulation and material processing technologies.     

Material processing with pulsed radially and azimuthally polarized laser radiation

We report on the generation of radially and azimuthally polarized Q-switched laser radiation and its application in material processing. The power levels were sufficiently high to study micro-hole drilling in different metals. Depending on the optical properties of the metal, either radial or azimuthal polarization shows the best efficiency and the effect is attributed to waveguiding. For steel, a comparison to linearly or circularly polarized laser radiation indicates that the doughnut-shaped beam with azimuthal polarization is the most energy-efficient in producing holes of the same diameter and depth. PACS 79.20.Ds; 29.27.Hj; 81.05.Bx     

Tight focusing of double ring shaped radially polarized beam with high NA lens axicon

A method is presented for generation of a sub wavelength (0.45λ) longitudinally polarized beam, which propagates without divergence over lengths of about 8λ in free space. This is achieved by tight focusing of double ring shaped radially polarized beam with a high NA lens axicon that utilizes spherical aberration to duplicate the performance of an axicon and to create an extended focal line. The intensity distributions were calculated based on the vector diffraction theory and it was observed that in the case of high numerical aperture (NA) lens axicon, the distribution of the total intensity near the focus had little effect on the degree of truncation of the incident beam by the pupil.     

Generating and shifting a spherical focal spot in a 4Pi focusing system illuminated by azimuthally polarized beams

We aim to theoretically investigate the focusing property of a 4Pi configuration under the illumination of azimuthally polarized high-order Bessel–Gaussian beams. The radial component is produced in the focal region through the introduction of a spiral phase plate. The focal region differs from the zero radial intensity component of the azimuthally polarized beams without the spiral phase plate. The spherical focal spot is generated by selecting an appropriate annular obstruction. The position of the focal spot can be shifted.     

Production of radially or azimuthally polarized beams in solid-state lasers and the elimination of thermally induced birefringence effects

Production and amplification of radially and azimuthally (tangentially) polarized laser beams are demonstrated. Based on the different focusing between radially and tangentially polarized light in thermally stressed isotropic laser rods, Nd:YAG laser oscillators were developed to produce low-loss stable oscillation in a single polarization. Pure radially polarized light at 70 W with M2 = 2 and on-axis impure radially polarized light at 150 W with M2 = 2.5 were achieved. The radially polarized beams were then amplified while good beam quality and polarization purity were retained. Complete elimination of thermal-birefringence-induced aberrations was demonstrated. This should allow much better beam quality from rod-based high-power lasers.     

Radially and azimuthally polarized beams generated by space-variant dielectric subwavelength gratings

We present a novel method for forming radially and azimuthally polarized beams by using computer-generated subwavelength dielectric gratings. The elements were deposited upon GaAs substrates and produced beams with a polarization purity of 99.2% at a wavelength of 10.6 microm . We have verified the polarization properties with full space-variant polarization analysis and measurement, and we show that such beams have certain vortexlike properties and that they carry angular momentum.     

High-numerical-aperture focusing of radially polarized doughnut beams with a parabolic mirror and a flat diffractive lens

Recently, Dorn et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 233901 (2003)] demonstrated the significance of radially polarized doughnut beams in obtaining very small focal spots (with an area of approximately 0.26 lambda2) with high-numerical-aperture (NA) aplanatic microscope objectives. We propose two simple alternative ways to focus such radially polarized beams: a parabolic mirror and a flat diffractive lens. Because of their large apodization factor for a high NA, a significant further reduction in spot area (up to a factor of 1.76 at a NA of 1) compared with the aplanatic system can be achieved.     

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