Propagation and diffraction of optical vortices

Pascal Fischer; Susan E. Skelton; Christopher G. Leburn; Casey T. Streuber; Ewan M. Wright; Kishan Dholakia

doi:10.1016/j.physc.2007.11.089

Propagation and diffraction of optical vortices

Pascal Fischer, Susan E. Skelton, Christopher G. Leburn, Casey T. Streuber, Ewan M. Wright, Kishan Dholakia

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We explore the propagation and diffraction of optical vortices (Laguerre-Gaussian beams) of varying azimuthal index past a circular obstacle and Young's double slits. When the beam and obstacle centers are aligned the famous spot of Arago, which arises for zero azimuthal index, is replaced for non-zero azimuthal indices by a dark spot of Arago, a simple consequence of the conserved phase singularity at the beam center. We explore how for larger azimuthal indices, as the beam and obstacle centers are progressively misaligned, the central dark spot breaks up into several dark spots of Arago. Using Young's double slits we can easily measure the azimuthal index of the vortex beam, even for polychromatic vortices generated by broadband supercontinuum radiation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	514-517
Number of pages	4
Journal	Physica C: Superconductivity and its applications
Volume	468
Issue number	7-10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physc.2007.11.089
Publication status	Published - 2008 Apr 1

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for their support of this work. Casey Streuber is supported by the Biomedical Imaging Spectroscopy (BMIS) Fellowship Program, and Ewan Wright is funded in part by the Joint Services Optical Program (JSOP). We also thank David McGloin for loan of the SLM.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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10.1016/j.physc.2007.11.089

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title = "Propagation and diffraction of optical vortices",

abstract = "We explore the propagation and diffraction of optical vortices (Laguerre-Gaussian beams) of varying azimuthal index past a circular obstacle and Young's double slits. When the beam and obstacle centers are aligned the famous spot of Arago, which arises for zero azimuthal index, is replaced for non-zero azimuthal indices by a dark spot of Arago, a simple consequence of the conserved phase singularity at the beam center. We explore how for larger azimuthal indices, as the beam and obstacle centers are progressively misaligned, the central dark spot breaks up into several dark spots of Arago. Using Young's double slits we can easily measure the azimuthal index of the vortex beam, even for polychromatic vortices generated by broadband supercontinuum radiation.",

author = "Pascal Fischer and Skelton, {Susan E.} and Leburn, {Christopher G.} and Streuber, {Casey T.} and Wright, {Ewan M.} and Kishan Dholakia",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for their support of this work. Casey Streuber is supported by the Biomedical Imaging Spectroscopy (BMIS) Fellowship Program, and Ewan Wright is funded in part by the Joint Services Optical Program (JSOP). We also thank David McGloin for loan of the SLM. ",

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T1 - Propagation and diffraction of optical vortices

AU - Fischer, Pascal

AU - Skelton, Susan E.

AU - Leburn, Christopher G.

AU - Streuber, Casey T.

AU - Wright, Ewan M.

AU - Dholakia, Kishan

N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for their support of this work. Casey Streuber is supported by the Biomedical Imaging Spectroscopy (BMIS) Fellowship Program, and Ewan Wright is funded in part by the Joint Services Optical Program (JSOP). We also thank David McGloin for loan of the SLM.

PY - 2008/4/1

Y1 - 2008/4/1

N2 - We explore the propagation and diffraction of optical vortices (Laguerre-Gaussian beams) of varying azimuthal index past a circular obstacle and Young's double slits. When the beam and obstacle centers are aligned the famous spot of Arago, which arises for zero azimuthal index, is replaced for non-zero azimuthal indices by a dark spot of Arago, a simple consequence of the conserved phase singularity at the beam center. We explore how for larger azimuthal indices, as the beam and obstacle centers are progressively misaligned, the central dark spot breaks up into several dark spots of Arago. Using Young's double slits we can easily measure the azimuthal index of the vortex beam, even for polychromatic vortices generated by broadband supercontinuum radiation.

AB - We explore the propagation and diffraction of optical vortices (Laguerre-Gaussian beams) of varying azimuthal index past a circular obstacle and Young's double slits. When the beam and obstacle centers are aligned the famous spot of Arago, which arises for zero azimuthal index, is replaced for non-zero azimuthal indices by a dark spot of Arago, a simple consequence of the conserved phase singularity at the beam center. We explore how for larger azimuthal indices, as the beam and obstacle centers are progressively misaligned, the central dark spot breaks up into several dark spots of Arago. Using Young's double slits we can easily measure the azimuthal index of the vortex beam, even for polychromatic vortices generated by broadband supercontinuum radiation.

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JO - Physica C: Superconductivity and its applications

JF - Physica C: Superconductivity and its applications

IS - 7-10

ER -

Propagation and diffraction of optical vortices

Abstract

Bibliographical note

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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