We present a geometric phase arising from transformations along the surface of a Poincare sphere representation
for cylindrical vector beams. Cylindrical vector beams are expressed as the superposition of orthogonal
circular polarized Laguerre-Gaussian modes of opposite topological charge. Two spheres are described where
the poles of each sphere are circular polarized Laguerre-Gaussian modes, and points along the equator are cylindrical
vector beams. A closed loop transformation on the sphere's surface is carried out using combinations of
wave plates and cylindrical lens mode converters, and an acquired geometric phase is experimentally measured
interferometrically.
A method for the generation of cylindrical vector beams based on the design of a multicore optical fiber is
presented. This design consists of N elliptical cores symmetrically arranged in a circular array about the fiber
axis, where the orientation of each core's major axes has an azimuthally varying distribution. A cylindrically
symmetric amplitude and polarization state is produced in the far field of the fiber output by the coherent
superposition of the individual core outputs. Such a fiber with N=6 cores is fabricated and experimentally
investigated. Numerical simulations show the dependence of the far field intensity of an array of Gaussian
beamlets on the number of beamlets and their spacing in the array.
A hybrid vector polarization beam with a donut like intensity profile is produced at the output of a spun elliptical
core optical fiber by coupling an off-axis TEM00 laser mode at the input. The local polarization states of the
fiber output are analyzed using Stokes polarimetry. The Stokes parameters are measured using a combination of
quarter wave plate and linear polarizer. A detailed polarization map of the hybrid beam's cylindrically symmetric
and varying elliptical polarization state around the beam axis is also numerically discussed.
The propagation of a hybrid vector polarization beam is experimentally investigated in an uniaxial birefringent
quartz crystal. The hybrid beam can be expressed as a superposition of two orthogonal linearly polarized
Laguerre-Gaussian modes of opposite topological charge. When propagating through the crystal, the beam decomposes
into the two orthogonal components traveling along the ordinary and extraordinary rays. Investigation
of the beams phase and polarization structure after propagation through the crystal shows a fork fringe pattern
arising from interference between the orthogonally polarized components of opposite topological charge.
Optical Airy beams have gained significant attention due to their parabolic trajectory, accelerating and nondiffractive
behavior. The phase velocity of the Airy solution to the paraxial wave equation is described showing
a unique behavior. The velocity is shown to vary spatially and in magnitude as the beam propagates through
vacuum along its curved trajectory.
Recently there has been considerable interest in the generation of cylindrical vector beams for numerous possible
applications in nano-biophotonics, optical imaging, the laser processing of materials and the generation of single
photon sources among others. Cylindrical vector optical vortex beams are shown by propagating a fundamental
laser mode through a spun ber. The polarization state of the output from the ber is characterized and the the
process of this mode conversion will be discussed.
We analyze and describe the evolution of the Poynting vector and angular momentum of the Airy beam as it
propagates through space. A numerical approach is used to show the Poynting vector follows the tangent line
of the direction of propagation. A similar approach is used to show that while the total angular momentum of
the Airy beam is zero, the angular momentum of the main intensity peak and the Airy tail are non-zero. These
beams have promise for applications in imaging and spectroscopy where a sample might interact with a changing
momentum and spatially varying angular momentum.
We show the first coherent white-light optical vortices generated from supercontinuum that have the azimuthally
varying phase structure consistent with a monochromatic Laguerre-Gaussian beam and zero angular dispersion.
Two methods of Laguerre-Gaussian supercontinuum generation are discussed and contrasted. We use a
computer generated hologram to convert a Gaussian white-light supercontinuum source into Laguerre-Gaussian
supercontinuum.
We used laser beams in high-order Hermite-Gaussian modes in an optical tweezer to trap and manipulate irregular micron-sized objects. The orientation of the objects was controlled by the opto-mechanical manipulation of the mode.
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