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Tailoring Orbital Angular Momentum of Light in the Visible Domain with Metallic Metasurfaces
Author(s) -
Hakobyan Davit,
Magallanes Hernando,
Seniutinas Gediminas,
Juodkazis Saulius,
Brasselet Etienne
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced optical materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.89
H-Index - 91
ISSN - 2195-1071
DOI - 10.1002/adom.201500494
Subject(s) - angular momentum , optical vortex , superposition principle , orbital angular momentum of light , materials science , topological quantum number , optics , angular momentum of light , vortex , physics , optoelectronics , total angular momentum quantum number , angular momentum coupling , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Submicron‐thick gold films endowed with subwavelength patterning allow on‐demand topological shaping of light, hence the precise delivery of optical orbital angular momentum. Several kinds of metallic metasurfaces enabling the generation of optical vortices with arbitrary topological charges in the visible domain are fabricated following a design based on space‐variant subwavelength grating with discrete orientational distribution. The optical performances of obtained flat spin–orbit optical elements designed to operate at 532 nm wavelength are experimentally assessed and satisfactorily compared to expectations. About 80% of optical vortex generation purity for predetermined topological charge up to | ℓ | = 10 is achieved. Other designs that allow continuous orientational distribution of nanogratings as well as the superposition of orbital angular momentum states are also proposed.