Frame dragging with optical vortices

General Relativistic calculations in the linear regime have been made for electromagnetic beams of radiation known as optical vortices. These exotic beams of light carry a physical quantity known as optical orbital angular momentum. It is found that when a massive spinning neutral particle is placed along the optical axis, a phenomenon known as inertial frame dragging occurs. Our results are compared with those found previously for a ring laser and an order of magnitude estimate of the laser intensity needed for a precession frequency of 1 Hz is given for these “steady” beams of light.     

Delocalized correlations in twin light beams with orbital angular momentum

We generate intensity-difference-squeezed Laguerre-Gauss twin beams of light carrying orbital angular momentum by using four-wave mixing in a hot atomic vapor. The conservation of orbital angular momentum in the four-wave mixing process is studied as well as the spatial distribution of the quantum correlations obtained with different configurations of orbital angular momentum. Intensity-difference squeezing of up to -6.7 dB is demonstrated with beams carrying orbital angular momentum. Delocalized spatial correlations between the twin beams are observed.     

高阶椭圆厄密–高斯光束的轨道角动量研究

从傍轴条件下光束轨道角动量的基本理论出发,根据高阶椭圆厄密–高斯光束的光场分布,运用张量方法,对高阶椭圆厄密-高斯光束轨道角动量的密度分布进行了理论分析,得到了求解该密度分布的计算公式,并在给定参量条件下作了数值模拟.进一步对光束中每个光子携带的平均轨道角动量进行了计算,发现其值随着椭圆厄密-高斯光束阶次的增大而增大,表明高阶椭圆厄密-高斯光束能够比椭圆高斯光束或拉盖尔-高斯光束提供高得多的轨道角动量.     

Canonical momentum,angular momentum,and helicity of circularly polarized Airy beams

We report a study of the momentum, angular momentum, and helicity of circularly polarized Airy beams propagating in free space. By using the vector angular spectrum representation, the explicit analytical expressions for the electric and magnetic field components of circularly polarized Airy beams are derived in detail. To overcome the drawbacks of classical kinematics formulae when applied to structured light beams, a general canonical approach is introduced to describe the momentum, angular momentum and helicity of Airy beams. Numerical simulation results for the spatial distributions of the canonical momentum, spin and orbital angular momentum, as well as the helicity densities are presented and discussed. This study may provide useful insights into the dynamical properties of Airy beams that may be important in several applications, including the optical control, micromanipulation, and information processing.     

柱矢量光束的角动量性质

介绍了非近轴光束的表示理论,利用该表示理论很好地解决了非近轴光束的角动量问题,发现非近轴光束的总角动量可以严格地分解成自旋和轨道两部分,但是两者都依赖于由偏振椭圆度表征的光束的偏振状态。主要研究了柱矢量光束的角动量问题。给出了动量空间和位形空间中的柱矢量光束表达式和角动量算符表达式。通过分析两个空间中的角动量算符及柱矢量光束表达式,发现在这两种空间中,具有螺旋型相位的柱矢量光束是角动量算符沿着传播方向的分量的本征态,其本征值与偏振椭圆度无关,这为计算这类特殊光束的角动量提供了一种新方法。     

Method for probing the orbital angular momentum of optical vortices in electromagnetic waves from astronomical objects

We present an efficient method for probing the orbital angular momentum of optical vortices of arbitrary sizes. This method, based on a multipoint interferometer, has its most important application in measuring the orbital angular momentum of light from astronomical sources, opening the way to interesting new astrophysics. We demonstrate its viability by measuring the orbital angular momentum of Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams.     

复杂像散椭圆光束的轨道角动量的实验研究

提出一种直接测量光束的轨道角动量的方法，其原理是把具有轨道角动量的光束照射到一个金属靶上，使其在光束的角动量作用下发生转动. 通过测量靶转动的角度来计算光束的角动量值. 对几种不同参数的光束的轨道角动量进行了测量，获得了轨道角动量与光束参数之间的关系，实验结果与理论分析较好地符合. 关键词： 复杂像散椭圆光束 轨道角动量 测量     

Transverse mode multiplexing using the helical eigen-beams of orbital angular momentum

The eigen-beams of orbital angular momentum (OAM) have helical wavefront and can be used to construct the channels for free space optical communication, i.e. orbital angular momentum multiplexing (OAMM). It is similar to time-division multiplexing (TDM) and wave-division multiplexing (WDM). We generate four helical beams with different OAM numbers by fork-like grating and modulates them mechanically. The modulated helical beams are then superposed coaxially into one single complex beam. In the receiver, the complex beam is separated into four helical beams with little mutual interference. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of OAMM by using the eigen-beams of orbital angular momentum.     

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.     

Contactless Transfer of an Angular Momentum to a Liquid Layer Using a Scanning Laser Beam

The contactless transfer of an angular momentum to a liquid layer using a scanning laser beam has been experimentally investigated. This effect is observed for a glassy carbon target placed in water and irradiated by a pulsed laser beam, scanning the target along a closed trajectory. The target rotates in the same direction as the laser beam if the water layer is thin and in the opposite direction in the case of thick water layer. The possibility of transferring an angular momentum to liquid in the absence of target is demonstrated. The effect observed is interpreted as the result of joint action of convective flows and thermocapillary convection, which are induced in the liquid by laser heating.     

Wave-particle duality of solitons and solitonic analog of the Ramsauer-Townsend effect

We study the interaction of light beams carrying angular momentum with a single, trapped and well localized ion. We provide a detailed calculation of selection rules and excitation probabilities for quadrupole transitions. The results show the dependencies on the angular momentum and polarization of the laser beam as well as the direction of the quantization magnetic field. In order to optimally observe the specific effects, focusing the angular momentum beam close to the diffraction limit is required. We discuss a protocol for examining experimentally the effects on the S_1/2 to D_5/2 transition using a ⁴⁰Ca⁺ ion. Various applications and advantages are expected when using light carrying angular momentum: in quantum information processing, where qubit states of ion crystals are controlled, parasitic light shifts could be avoided as the ion is excited in the dark zone of the beam at zero electric field amplitude. Such interactions also open the door to high dimensional entanglement between light and matter. In spectroscopy one might access transitions which have escaped excitation so far due to vanishing transition dipole moments.     

Spectroscopic observation of the rotational Doppler effect

We report on the first spectroscopic observation of the rotational Doppler shift associated with light beams carrying orbital angular momentum. The effect is evidenced as the broadening of a Hanle electromagnetically induced transparency coherence resonance on Rb vapor when the two incident Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams have opposite topological charges. The observations closely agree with theoretical predictions.     

Proposals for the generation of angular momentum from non-uniformly polarized beams

Several optical arrangements using non-uniformly polarized fields are proposed for generating beams with spin and/or orbital angular momentum. By choosing adequately the input beam polarization and the characteristics of the different proposed set-ups we can control the overall angular momentum of the output beam at will. The orbital angular momentum is analyzed with the beam moments theory and the spin term is evaluated using the averaged s₃ Stokes parameter.     

Laser beam alignment by fast feedback control of both linear and angular drifts

A new way to enhance the directional stability of laser beams with alternating intensity by fast feedback control of both linear and angular drifts has been proposed for alignment of laser beams at higher accuracy. Both linear and angular drifts of laser beams, processed through light intensity modulation and primary alignment using single-mode optical fiber (SMOF), are separated using light path arrangement and detected using phase-lock technique, and are controlled using fast feedback control mechanisms according to their detected magnitudes, so that both linear and angular drifts are suppressed to enhance the directional stability of the emitting laser beams. Theoretical analyses and preliminary experimental results indicate that the approach proposed can be used to achieve an alignment accuracy of more than 10⁻⁸ rad.     

相对论涡旋高次谐波的产生与调控理论研究

目前,具有螺旋相位波前和环状光强分布的涡旋光束已在光学领域获得了广泛应用,其产生与调控自然成了研究的热点。利用三维粒子模拟程序对双色拉盖尔高斯激光驱动固体等离子激发同时携带自旋角动量与轨道角动量的高次谐波的物理过程进行了研究,根据高次谐波产生过程中的光子能量与角动量守恒定律对其内在物理机制进行了理论分析,并讨论了对谐波阶次、偏振态（自旋角动量）以及拓扑荷数（轨道角动量）进行调控的方法。研究结果为开发高亮度、超短超快、短波长、自旋与轨道角动量可调控的涡旋光束辐射源提供了理论依据,在光学微操控、超分辨成像、光通信以及离子加速等领域具有较大的实际应用前景。     

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.     

强激光场中H~-离子二维光电子动量谱的理论研究

选用两个模型势,利用强场近似方法研究了H-离子在线性极化强激光场中二维光电子动量谱中次外层后重散射环.研究结果表明:两个模型势中的极化势对二维光电子动量谱的影响很小;随着激光强度的增加,二维光电子动量谱中出现后重散射环的数目变多,沿着次外层后重散射环的光电子的角分布波动性变小,能够通过多项式拟合的方法从二维光电子动量谱中次外层后重散射环获得精确的电子与H原子的弹性散射截面,特别适用于激光强度较小的情况.     

Effects of atmospheric turbulence on the orbital angular momentum of multi-Gaussian Schell model beams

The effects of multibeams and partially coherent source on the orbital angular momentum transmission of multi-Gaussian Schell model beams in an atmospheric turbulence channel are analyzed. An effective crosstalk probability model of the orbital angular momentum is derived which leads to crosstalk probability function for eigenmodes of different orbital angular momentum states and beamlets. The work shows that the evolution of the effective spatial coherence radius with growing the rms width of the correlation of the partially coherent source and the number of the beamlet in multi-Gaussian model beams. The crosstalk probability of the orbital angular momentum of an effective Gaussian-Schell model beam decreases as increasing of the degree of the spatial coherence of the partially coherent source and the beamlet number of the multi-Gaussian Schell model beams.     

Proposal for generating brilliant x-ray beams carrying orbital angular momentum

We consider use of a variable polarizing undulator for generating brilliant x-ray beams carrying orbital angular momentum. We find that higher harmonics of the radiation correspond to Laguerre-Gaussian modes with azimuthal mode indices l equal to one less than the harmonic number when the undulator is operated to produce circularly polarized light. Beams with nonzero l carry orbital angular momentum quantized in units of lvariant Planck's over 2pi per photon. When operated to produce linear polarization, the harmonics correspond to Hermite-Gaussian modes. Selection of these modes with conventional monochromator optics opens the door for new research with x-ray synchrotron and free-electron laser sources.