No Arabic abstract
We present both experimentally and theoretically the transformation of radially and azimuthally polarized vector beams when they propagate through a biaxial crystal and are transformed by the conical refraction phenomenon. We show that, at the focal plane, the transverse pattern is formed by a ring-like light structure with an azimuthal node, being this node found at diametrically opposite points of the ring for radial/azimuthal polarizations. We also prove that the state of polarization of the transformed beams is conical refraction-like, i.e. that every two diametrically opposite points of the light ring are linearly orthogonally polarized.
A unified description of the free-space cylindrical vector beams is presented, which is an integral transformation solution to the vector Helmholtz equation and the transversality condition. The amplitude 2-form of the angular spectrum involved in this solution can be arbitrarily chosen. When one of the two elements is zero, we arrive at either transverse-electric or transverse-magnetic beam mode. In the paraxial condition, this solution not only includes the known $J_1$ Bessel-Gaussian vector beam and the axisymmetric Laguerre-Gaussian vector beam that were obtained by solving the paraxial wave equations, but also predicts two new kinds of vector beam, called the modified-Bessel-Gaussian vector beam.
We present a formalism able to predict the transformation of light beams passing through biaxial crystals. We use this formalism to show both theoretically and experimentally the transition from double refraction to conical refraction, which is found when light propagates along one of the optic axes of a biaxial crystal. Additionally, we demonstrate that the theory is applicable both to non-cylindrically symmetric and non-homogeneously polarized beams by predicting the transformation of input beams passing through a cascade of biaxial crystals.
Cylindrical vector beam (CVB) is a structured lightwave characterized by its topologically nontrivial nature of the optical polarization. The unique electromagnetic field configuration of CVBs has been exploited to optical tweezers, laser accelerations, and so on. However, use of CVBs in research fields outside optics such as condensed matter physics has not progressed. In this paper, we propose potential applications of CVBs to those fields based on a general argument on their absorption by matter. We show that pulse azimuthal CVBs around terahertz (THz) or far-infrared frequencies can be a unique and powerful mean for time-resolved spectroscopy of magnetic properties of matter and claim that an azimuthal electric field of a pulse CVB would be a novel way of studying and controlling edge currents in topological materials. We also demonstrate how powerful CVBs will be as a tool for Floquet engineering of nonequilibrium states of matter.
It is observed that a constant unit vector denoted by $mathbf I$ is needed to characterize a complete orthonormal set of vector diffraction-free beams. The previously found diffraction-free beams are shown to be included as special cases. The $mathbf I$-dependence of the longitudinal component of diffraction-free beams is also discussed.
Harnessing the spontaneous emission of incoherent quantum emitters is one of the hallmarks of nano-optics. Yet, an enduring challenge remains-making them emit vector beams, which are complex forms of light associated with fruitful developments in fluorescence imaging, optical trapping and high-speed telecommunications. Vector beams are characterized by spatially varying polarization states whose construction requires coherence properties that are typically possessed by lasers-but not by photons produced by spontaneous emission. Here, we show a route to weave the spontaneous emission of an ensemble of colloidal quantum dots into vector beams. To this end, we use holographic nanostructures that impart the necessary spatial coherence, polarization and topological properties to the light originating from the emitters. We focus our demonstration on vector vortex beams, which are chiral vector beams carrying non-zero orbital angular momentum, and argue that our approach can be extended to other forms of vectorial light.