Optical Vector Vortex Generation by Spherulites with Cylindrical Anisotropy
Yuanfeng Liu, Le Zhou, Yongzheng Wen, Yang Shen, Jingbo Sun, Ji Zhou
Abstract
Materials with crystalline structures of circular symmetry are rare in nature; however, they are highly desired in optical applications with structured lights, whose characteristics are of cylindrical symmetry. In this work, using a naturally existing circular anisotropy from a spherulite formed by molecular self-assembly, we obtain a cylindrical vector optical vortex beam generation transformed from the spin angular momentum in the wide visible range. The proposed strategy provides promising and broad opportunities for the applications of spherulites in the generation of structured lights and modulations of both the polarization and the angular momentum.
Topics & Concepts
Optical vortexAnisotropyAngular momentumVortexPolarization (electrochemistry)Symmetry (geometry)Circular polarizationOpticsCondensed matter physicsMaterials scienceStructured lightOptical tweezersPhysicsClassical mechanicsGeometryChemistryMechanicsPhysical chemistryMicrostripMathematicsOrbital Angular Momentum in OpticsNonlinear Photonic SystemsMetamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications