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Updated: May 16, 2026

Construction and Operation of a Light-driven Gold Nanorod Rotary Motor System
Published on: June 30, 2018
Optical angular momentum conversion in a nanoslit
Philip F Chimento1, Paul F A Alkemade, Gert W 't Hooft
1Leiden University, Huygens Laboratory, Leiden, Netherlands. chimento@physics.leidenuniv.nl
Abstract:
We demonstrate partial conversion of circularly polarized light into orbital angular momentum-carrying vortex light with opposite-handed circular polarization. This conversion is accomplished in a novel manner using the birefringent properties of a circular subwavelength slit in a thin metal film. Our technique can be applied over a very wide range of frequencies and even allows the creation of anisotropic vortices when using a slit without circular symmetry.
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