Open AccessComplex beam shaping based on an equivalent q-plate system and analysis of its properties using digital holography polarization imaging
Author(s) -
Ching Fen Yang,
Andy Ying–Guey Fuh
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
scientific reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.24
H-Index - 213
ISSN - 2045-2322
DOI - 10.1038/s41598-017-02973-w
Subject(s) - holography , optics , spatial light modulator , polarization (electrochemistry) , angular momentum , angular spectrum method , digital holography , physics , beam (structure) , computer generated holography , transverse plane , phase (matter) , orbital angular momentum multiplexing , orbital angular momentum of light , total angular momentum quantum number , diffraction , classical mechanics , engineering , chemistry , structural engineering , quantum mechanics
In this study, we generate various complex beams carrying angular momentum (AM) by using a programmable beam shaping system to mimic typical q-plates. When a circularly polarized wave is incident onto the system, the emerging beam reverses its spin handedness and obtains a spatial phase factor. This phase factor can be engineered by designing a computer-generated hologram (CGH) and applying it to a spatial light modulator (SLM) to produce a beam with controllable spatially distributed orbital angular momentum (OAM) density. To determine the properties of the generated fields, we combine digital holography (DH) with the beam shaping system to yield visualizations of the beam intensity, phase, and AM distributions over the transverse plane at different propagation distances. Comparisons of the theoretically and experimentally obtained results show good qualitative agreement. This study advances our understanding and interpretation of AM characteristics produced by a programmable q-plate-like system.