SAM to OAM Conversion Applications

Overview

~Patent for light rectification using an optical vortex

~An optical vortex is a beam that has some non-uniform structure to the wave front that rotates temporally

~Optical vortices are created by passing circularly polarized light with spin angular momentum through an q-Waveplate

~ Optical Vortices have orbital angular momentum that can be transferred to micro-particles to induce a circular orbit.

Linear Polarization

Circular Polarization

Quarter Waveplate

The Optical Vortex

~ "L" is OAM Quantum Number

~Left: Wavefront With Poynting Vector

~Center: Anular Intensity Profile

~Right: Interference With Plane Wave

Q-Plate

q = 1 plate

~Patterned sub-wavelength grating produced by nanosecond laser etching

~q parameter defines

number of rotations in grating

~Orientation of incident light with grating produces birefringence

~ Converts Circular Polarization to Optical Vortex

SAM to OAM

±ℏ SAM per photon

ΔL = ±2q

OAM = L ℏ

Effect On Paticles

Particle Orbit

Spheroid Particle Rotation

Questions to Discuss

~ Will an antenna be useful in rectification?

~ If so, what modifications need to be made?

~If an antenna design is used, is the Orbital angular momentum conversion process useful?

~What other devices or inventions is RedWave in a unique position to produce that take advantage of this phenomenon?

Image References and Useful Papers

Beresna, Martynas, Mindaugas Gecevičius, and Peter G. Kazansky. "Polarization Sensitive Elements Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser Nanostructuring of Glass [Invited]." Optical Materials Express Opt. Mater. Express 1.4 (2011): 783. Web.

Gecevičius, Mindaugas, Rokas Drevinskas, Martynas Beresna, and Peter G. Kazansky. "Single Beam Optical Vortex Tweezers with Tunable Orbital Angular Momentum." Applied Physics Letters Appl. Phys. Lett. 104.23 (2014): 231110. Web.

Marrucci, Lorenzo, Ebrahim Karimi, Sergei Slussarenko, Bruno Piccirillo, Enrico Santamato, Eleonora Nagali, and Fabio Sciarrino. "Spin-to-orbital Conversion of the Angular Momentum of Light and Its Classical and Quantum Applications." Journal of Optics J. Opt. 13.6 (2011): 064001. Web.

Padgett, Miles, Johannes Courtial, and Les Allen. "Lights Orbital Angular Momentum." Physics Today. N.p., n.d. Web.

Piccirillo, Bruno, and Enrico Santamato. "Light Angular Momentum Flux and Forces in Birefringent Inhomogeneous Media." Physical Review E Phys. Rev. E 69.5 (2004): n. pag. Web.

Zhu, Lie, Zhongyi Guo, Qiang Xu, Jingran Zhang, Anjun Zhang, Wei Wang, Yi Liu, Yan Li, Xinshun Wang, and Shiliang Qu. "Calculating the Torque of the Optical Vortex Tweezer to the Ellipsoidal Micro-particles." Optics Communications 354 (2015): 34-39.