Method for exploring the orbital angular momentum of an optical vortex beam with a triangular multipoint plate.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• Optical vortex beams possess orbital angular momentum (OAM), a crucial property for applications in optical manipulation and communication.
• Characterizing the topological charge, which defines the OAM, is essential for utilizing these beams effectively.
• Existing methods for OAM measurement can be complex or lack precision in determining both sign and magnitude.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate an efficient and precise method for exploring the orbital angular momentum of optical vortex beams.
• To enable easy determination of both the sign and magnitude of the topological charge of optical vortices.
• To validate the proposed method using well-defined Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams.

Main Methods:

• A novel method utilizing a triangular multipoint plate for OAM analysis.
• Implementation of the plate to interact with optical vortex beams.
• Measurement of beam properties to extract topological charge information.

Main Results:

• The triangular multipoint plate method efficiently determines the orbital angular momentum of optical vortex beams.
• The method successfully distinguishes both the sign and magnitude of the topological charge.
• Feasibility demonstrated through accurate measurement of the OAM of Laguerre-Gaussian laser beams.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a straightforward and effective approach for OAM characterization.
• This technique provides a valuable tool for research and applications involving optical vortices.
• The results confirm the utility of the triangular multipoint plate for precise topological charge determination.