Meta-q-plate for complex beam shaping

• DOI: 10.1038/srep25528
• Publication Date: 2016-05-06T09:07:15Z
• Authors: Wei Ji; Chun-Hong Lee; Peng Chen; Wei Hu; Yang Ming; Lijian Zhang; Tsung-Hsien Lin; Vladimir Chigrinov; Yan-Qing Lu
• Keywords: Spatial light modulator; Optical vortex; Structured Light; Light beam

Abstract Optical beam shaping plays a key role in optics and photonics. In this work, meta-q-plate featured by arbitrarily space-variant optical axes is proposed demonstrated via liquid crystal photoalignment based on polarization-sensitive alignment agent dynamic micro-lithography system. Meta-q-plates with multiple-, azimuthally/radially variant topological charges initial azimuthal angles are fabricated. Accordingly, complex beams elliptical, asymmetrical, multi-ringed hurricane transverse profiles generated, making the manipulation of vortex up to an unprecedented flexibility. The evolution, handedness Michelson interferogram one theoretically analysed experimentally verified. design facilitates polarization spatial degrees freedom light point-to-point manner. realization drastically enhances capability may pave bright way towards manipulations, OAM informatics, quantum other fields.