We investigate the spectral degree of freedom of OAM-carrying localized waves, and its influence on their transverse intensity distribution. In particular, we focus our attention on two different families of spectra, namely exponentially decaying spectra, which are very tightly connected to fundamental X-waves, and Bessel-modulated spectra. For each class we show how it is possible, by suitable manipulating their spectrum, to structure their transverse intensity distribution, thus creating a radial structure similar to that of Laguerre-Gaussian beams. To complete our analysis, we investigate the impact of the two spectral functions on linear and angular momentum of such localized waves.
This paper addresses the RF link budget of a communication system using unusual waves carrying an orbital angular momentum (OAM) in order to clearly analyse the fundamental changes for telecommunication applications. The study is based on a typical configuration using circular array antennas to transmit and receive OAM waves. For any value of the OAM mode order, an original asymptotic formulation of the link budget is proposed in which equivalent antenna gains and free-space losses appear. The formulations are then validated with the results of a commercial electromagnetic simulation software.…
We report a consequence of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of a beam to its group velocity. We calculate the group velocity $v_g$ of Laguerre-Gauss beam ($\emph{LG}$) with $\ell$ and at $p=0$. The $v_g$ reduction of $\emph{LG}$ beam even in free space is observed to have dependence on both orbital or winding number $\ell$ and the beam's divergence $θ_0$. We found that light possessing higher $\ell$ travels relatively slower than that with lower $\ell$ values. This suggests that light of different OAM separate in the temporal domain along propagation and it is an added effect to the dispersi…
We consider the effect of orbital angular momentum (OAM) on localized waves in optical fibers using theory and numerical simulations, focusing on splash pulses and focus wave modes. For splash pulses, our results show that they may carry OAM only up to a certain maximal value. We also examine how one can optically excite these OAM-carrying modes, and discuss potential applications in communications, sensing, and signal filtering.
The capability to distinguish the handedness of circularly polarized light is a well-known intrinsic property of a chiral nanostructure. It is a long-standing controversial debate, however, whether a chiral object can also sense the vorticity, or the orbital angular momentum (OAM), of a light field. Since OAM is a non-local property, it seems rather counter-intuitive that a point-like chiral object could be able to distinguish the sense of the wave-front of light carrying OAM. Here, we show that a dipolar chiral nanostructure is indeed capable of distinguishing the sign of the phase vortex of …
Light with orbital angular momentum (OAM) has great potentials in both classical and quantum optical communications such as enhancing the transmission capacity of a single communication channel because of its unlimited dimensions. Based on OAM conservation in second order nonlinear interaction processes, we create a classical to quantum optical network link in OAM degree of freedoms of light via sum frequency generation (SFG) following by a spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC). A coherent OAM-carrying beams at telecom wavelength 1550nm is up-converted to 525.5nm OAM-carrying beams in …
Femtosecond light pulses carrying optical angular momentums (OAMs), possessing intriguing properties of helical phase fronts and ultrafast temporal profiles, enable many applications in nonlinear optics, strong-field physics and laser micro-machining. While generation of OAM-carrying ultrafast pulses and their interactions with matters have been intensively studied in experiments, three-dimensional characterization of ultrafast OAM-carrying light beams in spatio-temporal domain has, however, proved difficult to achieve. Conventional measurement schemes rely on the use of a reference pulsed lig…
We propose an effective scheme for the generation of intense coherent extreme ultraviolet light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). The light is produced by a high-gain harmonic-generation free-electron laser (FEL), seeded using a laser pulse with a transverse staircase-like phase pattern. During amplification, diffraction and mode selection drive the radiation profile towards a dominant OAM mode at saturation. With a seed laser at 260 nm, gigawatt power levels are obtained at wavelengths approaching those of soft x-rays. Compared to other proposed schemes to generate OAM with FELs,…
We have experimentally studied the degradation of mode purity for light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) propagating through simulated atmospheric turbulence. The turbulence is modeled as a randomly varying phase aberration, which obeys statistics postulated by Kolmogorov turbulence theory. We introduce this simulated turbulence through the use of a phase-only spatial light modulator. Once the turbulence is introduced, the degradation in mode quality results in cross-talk between OAM modes. We study this cross-talk in OAM for eleven modes, showing that turbulence uniformly degrade…
It has been recently shown that the orbital angular momentum (OAM) and temporal degrees of freedom in ultrafast (few-cycle) vortices are coupled. This coupling manifests itself with different effects in different parts of the vortex, as has been shown for the ring surrounding the vortex where the pulse energy is maximum, and also in the immediate vicinity of the vortex center. In may applications, however, the ring of maximum energy is not of primary interest, but that where the pulse peak intensity is maximum, which is particularly true in nonlinear optics applications such as the experiments…
In this paper, we present the design, fabrication and optical characterization of computer-generated holograms (CGH) encoding information for light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). Through the use of a numerical code, based on an iterative Fourier transform algorithm, a phase-only diffractive optical element (PH-DOE) specifically designed for OAM illumination has been computed, fabricated and tested. In order to shape the incident beam into a helicoidal phase profile and generate light carrying phase singularities, a method based on transmission through high-order spiral phase pl…
As an attractive degree of freedom in electromagnetic (EM) waves, the orbital angular momentum (OAM) enables infinite communication channels for both classical and quantum communications. The exploration of OAM generation inspires various designs involving spiral phase plates, antenna arrays, metasurfaces, and computer-generated holograms. In this work, we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate an approach to producing OAM carrying EM waves by a point defect in three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystals (PCs). Simultaneous excitation of two vibrational-defect states with an elaborately eng…
Sculpting ultrafast mid-infrared light for solid-state high harmonic generation
Eastern Institute of Technology（东方理工学院）；ELI-ALPS, ELI-Hu Non-Profit Ltd.（极强光激光科学研究所有限公司）；Laboratoire Photonique Numérique et Nanosciences (LP2N), UMR 5298, CNRS-IOGS-Université Bordeaux（波尔多大学光子学与纳米科学实验室）；Theoretisch-Physikalisches Institut, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena（耶拿大学理论物理研究所）；Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica, A.C.（光学研究中心）；School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology（上海理工大学光电信息与计算机工程学院）；Zhejiang Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, School of Engineering, Westlake University（西湖大学工学院电子与信息工程系三维微纳加工与表征浙江省重点实验室）；Helmholtz-Institut Jena（耶拿亥姆霍兹研究所）；GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH（达姆施塔特重离子研究中心）
Light carrying spatiotemporal orbital angular momentum (ST-OAM) makes possible new types of optical vortices arising from transverse OAM. ST-OAM pulses exhibit novel properties during propagation, transmission, refraction, diffraction, and nonlinear conversion, attracting growing experimental and theoretical interest and studies. However, one major challenge is the lack of a simple and straightforward method for characterizing ultrafast ST-OAM pulses. Using spatially resolved spectral interferometry, we demonstrate a simple, stationary, single-frame method to quantitatively characterize ultras…
With Rytov approximation theory, we derive the analytic expression of detection probability of Airy vortex beam carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) through an anisotropic weak oceanic turbulence. We investigate the influences of turbulence parameters and beam parameters on the propagation properties of Airy-OAM beam. The numerical simulation results show that the anisotropic oceanic turbulence with a lower dissipation rate of temperature variance, smaller ratio of temperature and salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum, higher dissipation rate of kinetic energy per unit mas…
Light with helical phase structures, carrying quantized orbital angular momentum (OAM), has many applications in both classical and quantum optics, such as high-capacity optical communications and quantum information processing. Frequency conversion is a basic technique to expand the frequency range of fundamental light. The frequency conversion of OAM-carrying light gives rise to new physics and applications such as up-conversion detection of images and high dimensional OAM entanglements. Quasi-phase matching (QPM) nonlinear crystals are good candidates for frequency conversion, particularly …
Frequency up-conversion is an effective method of mid-infrared (MIR) detection by converting the long-wavelength photons to the visible domain, where efficient detectors are readily available. Here, we generate the MIR light carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) from a difference frequency generation process and perform the up-conversion of it via sum frequency conversion in a bulk quasi-phase-matching crystal. The maximum quantum conversion efficiencies from MIR to visible are 34.0%, 10.4%, and 3.5% for light with topological charges of 0, 1, and 2, respectively, which is achieved by utiliz…
There is recent interest in the use of light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) for creating multiple channels within free-space optical communication systems. One limiting issue is that, for a given beam size at the transmitter, the beam divergence angle increases with increasing OAM, thus requiring a larger aperture at the receiving optical system if the efficiency of detection is to be maintained. Confusion exists as to whether this divergence scales linarly with, or with the square root of, the beam's OAM. We clarify how both these scaling laws are valid, depending upon whether …
Irradiation with an ultrashort laser pulse can completely destroy the magnetic order of ferromagnetic thin films on the femtosecond timescale. This phenomenon holds great potential for ultrafast spintronics and information processing and is an active field of research. It is still an open question if the angular momentum of light can support this effect. While it has been shown that the spin of light only has a negligible influence, we experimentally demonstrate the influence of ultrashort laser pulses with orbital angular momentum (OAM) on the magnetization dynamics of a thin nickel film. Our…
We conduct a theoretical study of the propagation of few-cycle, ultrafast vortices (UFVs) carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) in free space. Our analysis reveals much more complex temporal dynamics than that of few-cycle fundamental Gaussian-like beams, particularly when approaching the single-cycle regime and the magnitude of the topological charge $l$ is high. The recently described lower bound $\sqrt{|l|}$ to the number of oscillations of UFVs with propagation-invariant temporal shape (isodiffracting UFVs) is found to hold on average also for UFVs of general type, with variations along …
Infrared and visible light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) are currently thoroughly studied for their extremely broad applicative prospects, among which are quantum information, micromachining and diagnostic tools. Here we extend these prospects, presenting a comprehensive study for the synthesis and full characterization of optical vortices carrying OAM in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) domain. We confirm the upconversion rules of a femtosecond infrared helically phased beam into its high-order harmonics, showing that each harmonic order carries the total number of OAM units abso…
Microwave vortex beam lasing via photonic time crystals
Key Laboratory of advanced optoelectronic quantum architecture and measurements of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Nanophotonics & Ultrafine Optoelectronic Systems, School of Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology（教育部先进光电量子架构与测量重点实验室，北京纳米光子学与超精细光电系统北京市重点实验室，物理学院，北京理工大学）；Beijing Key Laboratory of Millimeter wave and Terahertz Techniques, School of Information and Electronics, Beijing Institute of Technology（毫米波与太赫兹技术北京市重点实验室，信息与电子学院，北京理工大学）
Mode Division Multiplexing (MDM) technique using higher order Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) carrying modes through a channelized bandwidth provides enhanced capacity communication systems. OAM based high-dimensional Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) encrypted channels also improve transmission rate and security. All-optical mode-selective spatial distribution manipulation is a significant function in implemented MDM and QKD networks. This paper proposes a novel versatile-designed integrated optical device with Y$_{cut}$ ridge Periodically Poled Lithium Niobate (PPLN) photonic wire configuration …
We numerically study the propagation of a few-cycle pulse carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) through a dense atomic system. Nonlinear precursors consisting of high-order vortex har- monics are generated in the transmitted field due to ultrafast Bloch oscillation. The nonlinear precursors survive to propagation effects and are well separated with the main pulse, which provide a straightforward way of measuring precursors. By the virtue of carrying high-order OAM, the obtained vortex precursors as information carriers have potential applications in optical informa- tion and communication fi…
In any form of wave propagation, strong spatiotemporal coupling appears when non-elementary, three-dimensional wave-packets are composed by superimposing pure plane waves, or spontaneously generated by light-matter interaction and nonlinear processes. Ultrashort pulses with orbital angular momentum (OAM), or ultrashort vortices, furnish a critical paradigm in which the analysis of the spatiotemporal coupling in the form of temporal-OAM coupling can be carried out accurately by analytical tools. By generalizing and unifying previously reported results, we show that universal and spatially heter…
Transverse (Hall-effect) and Goos--Hänchen shifts of light beams reflected/refracted at planar interfaces are important wave phenomena, which can be significantly modified and enhanced by the presence of intrinsic orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the beam. Recently, optical spatiotemporal vortex pulses (STVPs) carrying a purely transverse intrinsic OAM were predicted theoretically and generated experimentally. Here we consider the reflection and refraction of such pulses at a planar isotropic interface. We find theoretically and confirm numerically novel types of the OAM-dependent transverse …
Following on from the increasing interest for electromagnetic waves carrying Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM), different configurations of antenna systems able to generate such beams have been proposed. However, in our opinion, a traditional radiation pattern approach does not provide the right picture of an OAM-based communication link. For this reason we propose a new general concept, the "OAM-link pattern", which takes into account the peculiar phase structure characterizing these waves. Focusing on OAM transmissions between antenna arrays, we introduce a formula for the link budget evaluatio…
As reported in several recent publications, a spatial multiplexing involving the transmission of orthogonal waves carrying Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) is unable to provide spectral efficiency improvements with respect to the conventional techniques. In this work we emphasize how the limits of an OAM multiple transmission between antenna arrays can be derived from the Shannon capacity formula, taking as a reference the performance of a multiplexing method based on the higher-order channel modes. Our approach clearly indicates that the two techniques offer the same on-axis performance. Conver…
We present a theoretical study of high-order harmonic generation (HHG) and propagation driven by an infrared field carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). Our calculations unveil the following relevant phenomena: extreme-ultraviolet harmonic vortices are generated and survive to the propagation effects, vortices transport high-OAM multiple of the corresponding OAM of the driving field and, finally, the different harmonic vortices are emitted with similar divergence. We also show the possibility of combining OAM and HHG phase-locking to produce attosecond pulses with helical pulse structure.
We present an optical setup for generating a sequence of light pulses in which the orbital angular momentum (OAM) degree of freedom is correlated with the temporal one. The setup is based on a single $q$-plate within a ring optical resonator. By this approach, we demonstrate the generation of a train of pulses carrying increasing values of OAM, or, alternatively, of a controlled temporal sequence of pulses having prescribed OAM superposition states. Finally, we exhibit an "OAM-to-time conversion" apparatus dividing different input OAM states into different time-bins. The latter application pro…
Orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light is a fundamental optical degree of freedom that has recently motivated much exciting research in diverse fields ranging from optical communication to quantum information. We show for the first time that it is also a unique and valuable resource for quantum simulation, by demonstrating theoretically how \emph{2d} topological physics can be simulated in a \emph{1d} array of optical cavities using OAM-carrying photons. Remarkably, this newly discovered application of OAM states not only reduces required physical resources but also increases feasible scale o…
Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) can find tremendous applications in several fields. In order to apply these particular beams in photonic integrated devices innovative optical elements have been proposed. Here we are interested in the generation of OAM-carrying beams at the nanoscale level. We design and experimentally demonstrate a plasmonic optical vortex emitter, based on a metal-insulator-metal holey plasmonic vortex lens. Our plasmonic element is shown to convert impinging circularly polarized light to an orbital angular momentum state capable of propagating to the fa…
We describe the coupling between orbital angular momentum (OAM) and temporal degrees of freedom in pulsed Laguerre-Gauss beams. The effects of this coupling are to increase significantly the duration of few-cycle pulses when the OAM carried by the pulse is large, and to enhance spatiotemporal couplings. Contrary to other detrimental but retrievable effects such as spatial, group velocity and topological charge dispersions in these pulses, OAM-temporal coupling effects are unavoidable, and have therefore an impact in applications such as OAM-based optical communications, or in the generation of…
Propagation-invariant or non-diffracting optical beams have received considerable attention during the last two decades. However, the pulsed nature of light waves and the structured property of optical media like waveguides are often overlooked. We here present a four-dimensional spatiotemporal approach that extends and unifies both concepts of conical waves and helicon beams, mainly studied in bulk media. By taking advantage of tight correlations between the spatial modes, the topological charges, and the frequencies embedded in an optical field, we reveal propagation-invariant (dispersion- a…
We reveal for the first time a direct relationship between the diffraction of optical beams and their carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM). We experimentally demonstrate a novel phenomenon that the anisotropic diffraction can be induced by the OAM, predicted by us [Opt. Express, \textbf{26}, 8084 (2018)], via the propagations of the elliptic beams with the OAM in linearly and both-linearly-and-nonlinearly isotropic media, respectively. In the former case, when its carrying OAM equals the so-called critical OAM, the spiraling elliptic Gaussian beam (fundamental eigenmode) is observed in the …
Recently, a spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) with a transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM) has been generated from coherent ultrafast pulses using mode-locked lasers. In contrast, we demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that a STOV can be generated from a light source with partial temporal coherence with fluctuating temporal phase. By eliminating the need of mode-locked laser sources, the partially coherent STOV will serve as a convenient and cost-effective transverse OAM source.
The generation of light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) from a free-electron laser at short wavelengths has attracted considerable attention as a key resource in several fields and applications. Herein, we present a facile method to generate intense and coherent OAM beams from an X-ray free-electron laser oscillator (XFELO). We use the Bragg crystal as both a reflector as well as mode selector, in both longitudinal and transverse modes, which enables the specified resonance deviation that maximizes the single-pass gain of the high-order OAM mode of interest. This can allow the am…
On-chip photon sources carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) are in demand for high-capacity optical information processing in both classical and quantum regimes. However, currently-exploited integrated OAM sources have been primarily limited to the classical regime. Herein, we demonstrate a room-temperature on-chip integrated OAM source that emits well-collimated single photons, with a single-photon purity of g(2)(0) = 0.22, carrying entangled spin and orbital angular momentum states and forming two spatially separated entangled radiation channels with different polarization properties. The…
We report a technique for encoding both amplitude and phase variations onto a laser beam using a single digital micro-mirror device (DMD). Using this technique, we generate Laguerre-Gaussian and vortex orbital-angular-momentum (OAM) modes, along with modes in a set that is mutually unbiased with respect to the OAM basis. Additionally, we have demonstrated rapid switching among the generated modes at a speed of 4 kHz, which is much faster than the speed regularly achieved by spatial light modulators (SLMs). The dynamic control of both phase and amplitude of a laser beam is an enabling technolog…
We present a stable dual-wavelength vortex beam carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) with two spectral peaks separated by a few terahertz in diode-pumped Yb:CaGdAlO4 (CALGO) laser. The dual-wavelength spectrum is controlled by the pump power and off-axis loss in laser resonator, arising from the broad emission bandwidth of Yb:CALGO. The OAM beam is obtained by a pair of cylindrical lens that serves as an π/2 convertor for the high-order Hermite-Gaussian modes. The stability is verifed that the 1 h OAM beam with two spectral peaks at 1046.1 nm and 1057.2 nm (3.01 THz interval) can steadily o…
The generation of rapidly tunable Optical Vortex (OV) beams is one of the most demanding research areas of the present era as they possess Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) with additional degrees of freedom that can be exploited to enhance signal-carrying capacity by using mode division multiplexing and information encoding in optical communication. Particularly, rapidly tunable OAM devices at a fixed wavelength in the telecom band stir extensive interest among researchers for both classical and quantum applications. This article demonstrates the realistic design of a Si-integrated photonic devi…
Spatio-temporal optical vortices (STOVs) are a new type of optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) with optical phase circulation in space-time. In prior work [N. Jhajj et al., Phys. Rev X 6, 031037 (2016)], we demonstrated that a STOV is a universal structure emerging from the arrest of self-focusing collapse leading to nonlinear self-guiding in material media. Here, we demonstrate linear generation and propagation in free space of STOV-carrying pulses. Our measurements and simulations demonstrate STOV mediation of space-time energy flow within the pulse and conservation of OAM in space-time. …
X-ray beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) are an emerging tool for probing matter. Optical elements, such as spiral phase plates and zone plates, have been widely used to generate OAM light. However, these optics are challenging to use at x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) due to the high impinging intensities. Here, we propose a self-seeded FEL method to produce intense x-ray vortices. Unlike passive filtering after amplification, an optical element will be used to introduce the helical phase in the linear regime, significantly reducing the thermal load on the optical element. The g…
Electromagnetic (EM) waves with helical wavefront carry orbital angular momentum (OAM), which is associated with the azimuthal phase of the complex electric field. OAM is a new degree of freedom in EM waves and is promising for channel multiplexing in communication system. Although the OAM-carrying EM wave attracts more and more attention, the method of OAM generation at microwave frequencies still faces challenges, such as efficiency and simulation time. In this work, by using the circuit theory and equivalence principle, we build two simplified models, one for a single scatter and one for th…
