Reconfigurable beams with arbitrary polarization and shape distributions at a given plane

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Wavefront Engineering
• Polarization Optics

Background:

• Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are increasingly used for generating arbitrary polarization beams.
• Controlling both polarization and amplitude distributions of light beams is crucial for various optical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a technique for generating light beams with arbitrary polarization and spatial shape distributions.
• To demonstrate simultaneous control over amplitude and polarization of a light beam.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Mach-Zehnder interferometer setup.
• Employed spatial light modulators (SLMs) in each interferometer path.
• Displayed computer-generated holograms on SLMs to encode desired amplitude and polarization states across the wavefront.

Main Results:

• Successfully implemented several beams with diverse polarization and intensity landscapes.
• Demonstrated the capability to tailor amplitude and polarization simultaneously.
• Experimental results validated the proposed technique's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The presented Mach-Zehnder based technique offers a flexible and powerful method for generating complex light beams.
• This approach enables precise, dynamic control over both polarization and amplitude distributions of optical beams.
• The technique has potential applications in fields requiring tailored light fields.