High-order LG vortex Pr:YLF laser emitting in the visible wavelength range for the measurement of angular velocity
Yu Zhang, Aoyu Yan, Yaoyao Qi, Jia‐Qi Lü, Jiashuo An, Quan Sheng, Zhenxu Bai, Yulei Wang, Zhiwei Lü
Abstract
High-order vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum in the visible wavelength range are of tremendous interest for a diversity of applications, including super-resolution imaging, microfabrication, and underwater communications. Such beams can be generated directly from compact solid-state lasers; however, they generally have low topological charge number. In this work, we demonstrate the generation of high-order Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) modes from a simple Pr:YLF laser cavity and demonstrate its application in the measurement of angular velocity. We utilize enhanced intracavity spherical aberration to generate LG0,±m modes with m selectable up to 34, directly from a Pr:YLF laser operating at 640 nm. We utilize this laser beam in an off-axis illumination geometry in conjunction with the rotational Doppler effect, to measure the angular velocity of a spinning object. The demonstration highlights a potential application for these types of vortex laser.