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.     

Separation of spin angular momentum in space-variant linearly polarized beam

We show that the spin angular momentum (SAM) flux in a space-variant linearly polarized beam can be separated in the focal plane. Such a beam carries only orbital angular momentum (OAM) and develops a net SAM flux upon focusing. The radial splitting of the SAM flux density is mediated by the phase vortex (or OAM) and can be controlled by the topological charge of the phase vortex. Optical trapping experiments verify the separation of the SAM flux density. The proposed approach enriches the manipulation of the angular momentum of light fields and inspires more designs of focus engineering, which would benefit optical micromanipulation of microscopic particles.     

Optical forces and torques in nonuniform beams of light

The spin angular momentum in an elliptically polarized beam of light plays several noteworthy roles in optical traps. It contributes to the linear momentum density in a nonuniform beam, and thus to the radiation pressure exerted on illuminated objects. It can be converted into orbital angular momentum, and thus can exert torques even on optically isotropic objects. Its curl, moreover, contributes to both forces and torques without spin-to-orbit conversion. We demonstrate these effects experimentally by tracking colloidal spheres diffusing in elliptically polarized optical tweezers. Clusters of spheres circulate deterministically about the beam's axis. A single sphere, by contrast, undergoes stochastic Brownian vortex circulation that maps out the optical force field.     

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.     

Optical vortex beam shaping by use of highly efficient irregular spiral phase plates for optical micromanipulation

Optical dark traps such as Laguerre-Gaussian beams, modulated optical vortices, and high-order Bessel beams have been used in the micromanipulation of microparticles. Such optical traps are highly versatile, as they are able to trap both high- and low-index microparticles as well as to set them into rotation by use of the orbital angular momentum of light. Holography has been widely used to modulate the shape of an optical vortex for new optical traps. We show that, by designing the shape of a spiral phase plate and using electron-beam lithography for fabrication, one can modulate the amplitude and the phase of an optical vortex with respect to the specific shape of the spiral phase plate as required. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge this is the first report of transferring orbital angular momentum from a spiral phase plate to an absorptive microparticle in an experiment. Hence, with this technique, optical dark traps can easily be designed and fabricated.     

Tight focusing of spirally polarized vortex beams

The tight focusing of spirally polarized focused vortex beams is analyzed numerically based on the vectorial Debye theory. The expressions for the electric field and the orbital angular momentum of focused beams are derived. It is shown that the intensity distribution in the focal plane is dependent on the specific spirally polarized state and the coefficient of the spiral polarization function. By presenting the phase contours of the component polarized in the radial direction, it is found that the radii of dislocation lines will increase with the increase of the power of the spirally polarization function. It is reveled that the same orbital angular momentum can be obtained for different spirally polarized state at certain distance along the propagation direction in the focal region. Besides, the orbital angular momentum distributions for different polarized states have fewer crossover points with each other for higher topological charge. The influence of the spirally polarized state on the orbital angular momentum in the focal plane is also studied.     

Subwave spikes of the orbital angular momentum of the vortex beams in a uniaxial crystal

We have theoretically predicted gigantic spikes of orbital angular momentum caused by conversion processes of the centered optical vortex in the circularly polarized components of an elliptic vortex beam propagating perpendicularly to the crystal optical axis. We have experimentally observed the conversion process inside subwave deviations of the crystal length. We have found that the total orbital angular momentum of the wave beam is conserved.     

Wavelength-scalable micro-fabricated wedge for generation of optical vortex beam in optical manipulation

An optical wedge phase plate is fabricated for the study of vortex beam generation in optical manipulation. It is demonstrated that the wedge phase element provides scalability for generating the vortex beam at different wavelengths as long as the incident beam size is adjusted accordingly. The presence of singularity for different wavelengths and the associated orbital angular momentum are confirmed experimentally in optical manipulation. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users. PACS 41.85.Ct; 42.82.Cr     

Astigmatic telescopic transformation of a high-order optical vortex

Properties of an optical vortex light beam formed after the astigmatic telescopic transformation of a circular Laguerre-Gaussian mode are considered both theoretically and experimentally. The beam evolution is found to be in conformity with the general notions on the high-order optical vortex symmetry breakdown. Upon propagation, the asymmetric beam shows a sort of rotation of its transverse profile in accord with the energy circulation in the original circular mode; this process is described on the base of the beam intensity moments and the vortex and asymmetry components of its orbital angular momentum. An l-charged optical vortex converts into |l| secondary first-order vortices positioned on a straight line crossing the beam axis. Orientation of this straight line in the beam cross section and spatial separation of the secondary vortex cores depend on the propagation distance. Morphology (orientation and anisotropy) of all the secondary vortices is the same and depends on the propagation distance; the anisotropy can be characterized by the vortex component of the beam angular momentum. At certain distance, relative separation of secondary vortices with respect to the beam transverse size reaches its maximum that corresponds to the minimum anisotropy of the vortices. The results can be useful in the context of current research of the optical vortex arrays.     

平板式螺旋相位板的设计与应用

传统的螺旋相位板是一种利用沿方位角方向介质材料高度递增实现对光束相位调控产生涡旋光束的光学器件,由于这种特殊的几何结构特征使其不能通过相位板的叠加而调控出射光束所携带的角量子数.本文基于坐标变换方法将介质材料沿方位角方向折射率不变而高度递增的传统螺旋相位板变换为一种介质材料沿方位角方向高度不变而折射率递增的平板式螺旋相位板.通过理论分析与数值模拟,发现本文所设计的平板式螺旋相位板不仅与传统螺旋相位板一样能够产生高质量的涡旋光束,而且平板式螺旋相位板的高度和涡旋光束携带的角量子数可以根据介质材料的折射率选取而任意调节.为了实际应用的需要,可以通过叠加多层平板式螺旋相位板以获得不同角量子数的涡旋光束.这种平板式螺旋相位板在光传输、光通信等领域具有广阔的潜在应用价值.     

Resistance of nondiffracting vortex beam against amplitude and phase perturbations

The revival of the nondiffracting vortex beam after its interaction with the 2D on axis obstacle is examined. We show that the phase topology and the spatial distribution of the orbital angular momentum of the beam transmitted through the obstacle regenerate to the initial form during further free propagation. We verify that the healing effect appears even if the interaction is accompanied by the exchange of the orbital angular momentum.     

Focusing of hyperbolic-cosine-Gaussian beam with a non-spiral vortex

The focusing properties of the hyperbolic-cosine-Gaussian beam, which contains an optical vortex induced by a non-spiral phase plate, are investigated numerically. The phase plate alters phase distribution linearly in a half-section part of the hyperbolic-cosine-Gaussian beam, which results in one non-spiral optical vortex. Results show that the phase variation rate of the non-spiral phase plate influences focal intensity distribution considerably, and some novel focal patterns, such as line focal spot, “H”-shape focal spot, and intensity peaks array, may occur. Focal shift, focal split, and focal switch appear in focal evolution with increasing phase variation rate. The focal evolution differs for different parameters in cosh parts of the hyperbolic-cosine-Gaussian beam. For big parameters in cosh parts, the value of local intensity peaks is comparable to that of maximum intensity peaks.     

Rotational motions of optically trapped microscopic particles by a vortex femtosecond laser

The rotational motions of the optically trapped microscopic particles by the vortex femtosecond laser beam are investigated in this paper.Black particles can be trapped and rotated by a vortex femtosecond laser beam very effectively because the vortex beam carries orbital angular momentum due to the helical wave-front structure in assoication with the central phase singularity.Trapped black particles rotate in the vortex beam due to the absorption of the angular momentum transferred from the vortex beam.The rotating directions of the trapped particles can be modulated by reversing the topological charge of the optical vortex in the vortex femtosecond beam.And the rotating speeds of the trapped microscopic particles greatly depend on the topological charges of the vortex tweezer and the used pulse energies.     

利用干涉光场的相位涡旋测量拉盖尔-高斯光束的轨道角动量

对拉盖尔-高斯光束经多圆孔衍射屏在远场平面上形成的干涉光场的相位和零值线进行了计算模拟.当入射光束的轨道角动量量子数为零时,实部零值线与虚部零值线在干涉光场中心点不相交,因而在该点上不能形成相位涡旋.当入射光束的轨道角动量量子数为+1和-1时,实部零值线与虚部零值线在干涉光场中心垂直并相交,干涉光场相应位置处的相位涡旋的符号相反.当入射光束的轨道角动量量子数为±2和±3时,有四条零值线相交于干涉光场的中心点上,并且实部零值线和虚部零值线交替分布,该交点处形成的相位涡旋的拓扑荷的值恰好与拉盖尔-高斯光束的轨道角动量量子数相等.这种结果可以用来测量涡旋光束的轨道角动量.     

圆柱型光纤螺线圈轨道角动量模式

传统的沿z轴光纤传输光线的轨道角动量(orbital angular momentum,OAM)光束的制备方法共同之处都是从内部结构着想,光束的主光线基本上不变,只是波面在变.但要获得携带高mh的光有一定的难度.针对上述问题,本文建立以波面不变,光束主光线变化为基础的理论框架,利用微分几何理论验证不沿z轴圆柱型光纤螺线圈传输的光线可以携带高mh OAM的理论设想.研究发现:利用流动坐标(α,β,γ)计算光线在绕圆柱体的光纤中传输时光纤截面的衍射分布图呈现涡旋特征,有高阶OAM模式.当θ=θ0时,圆柱形轨道光纤过渡到直线轨道光纤.计算光线沿直线传输时光纤截面的衍射分布图是Airy斑,即圆孔衍射斑,无高阶OAM模式.     

Mass of the higgs versus fourth generation masses

Double sign inversion of the topological charge of an optical vortex was predicted and observed experimentally for a beam focused by a cylindrical lens. Beam evolution after passing through the lens is analyzed by the decomposition of the orbital angular momentum into the “vortical” and “mechanical” components. Topological reactions in the beam wave resulting in the sign inversion of the optical vortex upon the intersection of the wave-front edge dislocation are considered.     

光子角动量在环形金属纳米孔异常透射过程中的作用

在环形凹槽包围环形金属纳米孔的异常透射器件的研究中,环形凹槽可以将携带光子角动量的入射光转化为涡旋表面等离极化激元,这些涡旋表面等离极化激元传向几何中心并与直接照射在环形纳米孔上的光子发生干涉,当相互干涉的光子满足相位匹配条件时,环形纳米孔的透射率得到显著增强.本文利用理论分析和数值计算的方法研究了光子角动量和凹槽半径对环形纳米孔透射过程的影响.我们发现调节环形凹槽的半径和入射光携带的光子角动量可以调节光子在金膜上表面传输时的径向传播相位,进而影响了环形纳米孔附近的干涉电场强度,最终决定了环形纳米孔的透射率,进而可以通过调节凹槽的半径来调节携带不同光子角动量的光束在环形纳米孔的透射率.本文的研究结果对基于涡旋表面等离极化激元的异常透射器件的设计具有重要的指导意义.     

Tightly Focusing of Circularly Polarized Vortex Beams through a Uniaxial Birefringent Crystal

Under the approximation of small birefringence, the properties of circularly polarized vortex beams tightly focused through a uniaxial birefringent crystal are studied. With the proper combination of the topological charge and the birefringence, the small focus, the small bottle beam and the inverse c-shaped intensity profile can be obtained. The effects of the focal shift and the Strehl ratio on the birefringence are analysed. A relation between angular momentum （included spin and orbital） and topological Pancharatnam charge is also presented.     

The effect of tilt aberration and astigmatism of turbulent atmosphere on the intensity distribution of a vortex carrying Gaussian beam

The effect of tilt and astigmatism aberration of the turbulent atmosphere on the intensity distribution of a focused vortex carrying Gaussian beam was investigated based on the extended Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction integral and the quadratic approximation of phase structure function. Our results have shown that the intensity distribution on the focal plane in the effect of tilt aberration changes with the turbulent strength, the propagation distance and the topological charge of the initial beam. The propagation distance is larger, the focal spot size will be larger, and the central dip will be less deep. It is also noticed that the intensity distribution of a beam with single topological charge is affected more by tilt aberration in comparison to the beam with double topological charge. The effect of astigmatism on the intensity distribution is quite less than that of tilt aberration. For focused beam propagation in atmosphere, the effect of the tilt aberration on the intensity distribution of optical vortex beam is the main effect of total turbulent aberration.