Open AccessSearch for Hermite-Gauss mode rotation in cholesteric liquid crystals
Author(s) -
W. Löffler,
M. P. van Exter,
G. W. ’t Hooft,
G. Nienhuis,
Dirk J. Broer,
J. P. Woerdman
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.012978
Subject(s) - angular momentum , physics , angular momentum of light , orbital angular momentum of light , optics , angular momentum coupling , total angular momentum quantum number , rotation (mathematics) , spin (aerodynamics) , gauss , hermite polynomials , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics , geometry , mathematics , thermodynamics
In theory, there are analogous transformations of light's spin and orbital angular momentum [Allen and Padgett, J. Mod. Opt. 54, 487 (2007)]; however, none have been observed experimentally yet. In particular, it is unknown if there exists for the orbital angular momentum of light an effect analogous to the spin angular momentum-based optical rotation; this would manifest itself as a rotation of the corresponding Hermite-Gauss mode. Here we report an experimental search for this effect in a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer, using strongly focussed, spin-orbit coupled light. We find that the relative phase velocities of the orbital modes constituting the Hermite-Gauss mode agree to within 10(-5).