Detecting the topological charge of vortex beams using an annular triangle aperture

The Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of a vortex beam by an annular triangle aperture is analyzed theoretically and experimentally. It is found that the pattern of the far-field diffraction intensity distribution exhibits a triangular lattice array, which becomes much clearer with the increase of the ratio of the inner to the outer side of the annular triangle aperture. The number of spot points of any external side of the triangular lattice array minus one is just equal to the topological charge value of the measured optical vortex. For the vortex beam with negative topological charge, the triangular diffraction pattern after the annular triangle aperture will be rotated by 180° in relation to the case of the positive topological charge. Based on the above properties, we propose a simple and feasible method to determine the magnitude and sign of the topological charge of an optical vortex beam.     

Measuring the topological charge of an optical vortex by using a tilted convex lens

We demonstrate, analytically and experimentally, a simple, but effective method to determine the topological charge of an optical vortex by using a spherical bi-convex lens, a ubiquitous optical element found in any optics laboratory. Just by tilting the lens and recording the intensity distribution of a propagating vortex at a predicted position past the lens, we have been able to measure both the sign and the magnitude of the topological charge m   up to m=±14$m=\pm 14$. Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with analytical predictions.     

Measuring vortex charge with a triangular aperture

A triangular aperture illuminated with a vortex beam creates a truncated lattice diffraction pattern that identifies the charge of the vortex. In this Letter, we demonstrate the measurement of vortex charge via this approach for vortex beams up to charge ±7. We also demonstrate the use of this technique for measuring femtosecond vortices and noninteger vortices, comparing these results with numerical modeling. It is shown that this technique is simple and reliable, but care must be taken when interpreting the results for the noninteger case.     

Measuring the orbital angular momentum of elliptical vortex beams by using a slit hexagon aperture

The far-field diffraction pattern of an elliptical vortex beam by a slit hexagon aperture is investigated theoretically and experimentally. It is found that the number of the dark spots or stripes in the Fraunhofer diffraction intensity distribution is just equal to the topological charge value of the measured optical vortex, and that the centre of each dark spot or stripe is just a phase singularity point. Based on this property, it provides us a simple way to detect the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of an optical vortex beam.     

非均匀偏振光束通过环状光阑的传输

 使用光束相干偏振矩阵方法,推导出非均匀偏振光束通过环状光阑后偏振度和光强分布的表达式,研究了非均匀偏振光束通过环状光阑后偏振度和光强的变化。结果表明,在横平面上通常偏振度为非均匀分布,但在中心区域近似为均匀分布,均匀分布范围与非均匀偏振光束参数、光阑遮拦比和传输距离有关。初始为均匀分布的光强通过光阑后变为具有中心主极大和小衍射旁瓣的非均匀分布。     

Partially coherent vortex beams focused by an aperture lens with coma

We investigate the influence of the coma of the lens on the focusing of partially coherent vortex beams. On the basis of the generalized Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral, the formula for the intensity distribution in the focal plane is derived. The numerically calculated results are given to show that the coma of the lens leads to the asymmetry of focused intensity distribution. The influence of coherence length on the focused intensity distribution is also investigated. It is found that the effect of coma is not obvious when the coherence length is small. Intensity profiles for three different values of the azimuthal angle are plotted to illustrate the effect of coma and the influence of coherence length.     

Beam-spreading and topological charge of vortex beams propagating in a turbulent atmosphere

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the beam-spreading of a vortex beam propagating in a turbulent atmosphere. It is found that the vortex beam is less affected by turbulence than a non-vortex one. The topological charge of the vortex beam on propagation has also been investigated experimentally. It is shown that the topological charge of vortex beam will exhibit fluctuating behavior as the beam propagates through a turbulent atmosphere.     

Focal shift of the partially coherent vortex beams focused by an aperture lens

Based on the propagation law of partially coherent beams, the propagation equations of the partially coherent vortex beams focused by an aperture lens are derived. Based on these equations, the focal shift of partially coherent vortex beams is studied, and illustrative numerical results are given. It is found that the focal shift of the partially coherent vortex is dependent not only on the Fresnel number but also on the relative coherent length and the topological charge of the vortex.     

Production of annular flat-topped vortex beams

A model of an annular flat-topped vortex beam based on multi-Gaussian superimposition is proposed.We experimentally produce this beam with a computer-generated hologram(CGH) displayed on a spatial light modulator(SLM).The power of the beam is concentrated on a single-ring structure and has an extremely strong radial intensity gradient.This beam facilitates various applications ranging from Sisyphus atom cooling to micro-particle trapping.     

Propagation of vectorial nonparaxial Gaussian beams through an annular aperture

Starting from the vectorial Rayleigh diffraction integrals, the nonparaxial propagation of vectorial Gaussian beams through an annular aperture is studied. The analytical propagation expressions are derived, which permit us to treat the on-axis field and far field of vectorial nonparaxial Gaussian beams diffracted at the annular aperture, the nonparaxial diffraction at a circular aperture and a circular disc as our special cases in a unified way. The validity of our treatment is confirmed by direct numerical integration of the Rayleigh formulae. It is shown that the f-parameter and annular obscuration affect the beam nonparaxiality in the case of diffraction at the annular aperture.     

Study correlation vortices in the near-field of partially coherent vortex beams diffracted by an aperture

We have derived the analytical expression of the electric cross-spectral density in the near-field of partially coherent vortex beams diffracted by an aperture. Taking the Gaussian Schell-model vortex beam as a typical example of partially coherent vortex beams, the spatial correlation properties and correlation vortices in the near-field of partially coherent vortex beams diffracted by a rectangle aperture are studied. It is shown that the off-axis displacement, spatial degree of coherence parameter, propagation distance, and the opening factor of the aperture affect the spectral degree of coherence and positions of correlation vortices. With the optimization algorithm, we obtain the symmetric distributing coherent vortex.     

Measuring the topological charge of optical vortices with an axicon

We analyzed the spatial spectrum of the diffraction intensity pattern of an ideal Bessel beam and found an implicit rule that the number of the bright rings in the spatial spectrum is equal to the topological charge of the Bessel beam. The radius of the bright and dark rings has some relation with the topological charge and can be determined accurately. It provides us with a new way for measuring the topological charge of an optical vortex through its diffraction intensity pattern after an axicon. The results of simulation coincide with the theory.     

数字全息术测定涡旋光束拓扑电荷数

提出了一种基于数字全息技术测定涡旋光束拓扑电荷数的方法.该方法通过数字全息技术获取涡旋光束和参考光的全息图并重构出涡旋光束的波前相位,判定相位围绕相位奇点的周期性分布来测定涡旋光束的拓扑电荷数.在拓扑电荷数取值分别为整数和分数的情况下,通过对数值模拟和实验结果的比较,表明该方法能够较准确地测定出拓扑电荷数.     

Characterizing topological charge of optical vortex using non-uniformly distributed multi-pinhole plate

We propose an efficient method for characterizing the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of an optical vortex with a large topological charge (TC) through distinguishing the interference pattern of the non-uniformly-distributed multi-pinholes using fewer pinholes. This method overcomes the limit on large TC detection by multi-point interferometer and can be used to probe optical vortices with arbitrary sizes. In addition, it also has potential application in measuring light beam with OAM from astronomical sources.     

Focusing of elliptically polarized Gaussian beams through an annular high numerical aperture

Based on the vectorial Debye theory,the focusing properties of the Gaussian beam through an annular high numerical aperture are studied numerically,including the intensity,the phase and the orbital angular momentum properties.Then the influence of certain parameters on the focusing properties is also investigated.It is shown that sub-wavelength elliptical light spots can be obtained.And there exists a vortex in the longitudinal component of the focused field even though the incident beam is Gaussian beam,indicating that the spin angular momentum of the elliptically polarized Gaussian beam is converted into the orbital angular momentum by the focusing.     

Microscale vortex laser with controlled topological charge

A microscale vortex laser is a new type of coherent light source with small footprint that can directly generate vector vortex beams. However, a microscale laser with controlled topological charge, which is crucial for virtually any of its application, is still unrevealed. Here we present a microscale vortex laser with controlled topological charge. The vortex laser eigenmode was synthesized in a metamaterial engineered non-Hermitian micro-ring cavity system at exceptional point. We also show that the vortex laser cavity can operate at exceptional point stably to lase under optical pumping.The microscale vortex laser with controlled topological charge can serve as a unique and general building block for nextgeneration photonic integrated circuits and coherent vortex beam sources. The method we used here can be employed to generate lasing eigenmode with other complex functionalities.     

Measuring the topological charge of integer and fraction vortices using multipoint plates

The topological charge of integral vortex beams with a single circle of multipoints has previously been measured. In this work, we theoretically and experimental study the diffraction patterns of vortex beams of integral and fractional topological charges using a single circle and two circles of multipoint plates. It is found that the diffraction patterns are dependent not only on the multipoint plates, but also on the topological charge of the vortex beams. On the basis of this property, we can measure the topological charges of integral and fractional vortex beams.     

Polynomial Gaussian beams and topological charge conservation

We investigate polynomial Gaussian beams with rotationally symmetric Gaussian envelops and complex bivariate polynomial prefactors of finite order. A formalism for the propagation of such beams is developed, which expresses how the coefficients of the polynomial transform during propagation. This formalism is used to proof that global topological charge is conserved for this class of polynomial Gaussian beams.     

Phase singularities of nonparaxial cosh-Gaussian vortex beams diffracted by a rectangular aperture

Analytical expression for the propagation of nonparaxial cosh-Gaussian (ChG) beams diffracted by a rectangular aperture is derived based on the vector Rayleigh-Sommerfeld diffraction integrals and expansion of the aperture window function into a finite sum of complex Gaussian functions, and used to study the phase singularities of nonparaxial diffracted ChG vortex beams. The pair creation, annihilation, motion of phase singularities in the diffracted field and the dependence of position and number of phase singularities on the aperture and beam parameters, as well as on the beam nonparaxiality are illustrated by numerical examples.     

Experimental verification of focus tailoring using circularly polarized vortex beams with annular pupil mask

The focusing properties of circularly polarized vortex beam are experimentally verified by examining two-photon fluorescent emission patterns inside an fluorescent microsphere. Very good agreements between the experimental and theoretical results have been obtained. Annular pupil masks are used to tailor the profile at the focus. When an circularly polarized beam with the appropriate handedness is used in combination with an annular pupil aperture, a strong longitudinal component is observed, which results in a raised center and a smaller focal spot. This interesting focusing property can be utilized in applications that require a distinct longitudinal component.