Digital toolbox for vector field characterization

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Quantum Information Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Vectorial structured light fields offer unique properties for diverse applications.
• Current methods for detecting these fields are often complex or limited in scope.
• Nanophotonic metasurfaces enable convenient generation of these advanced optical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a compact and automated technique for comprehensive characterization of vectorial light fields.
• To enable simultaneous measurement of spatial modes and polarization degrees-of-freedom.
• To overcome limitations of existing projective measurement techniques.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) for automated optical field analysis.
• Implementing projective measurements for complete characterization of spatial and polarization states.
• Employing a compact setup for efficient data acquisition.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated complete, local, and global characterization of arbitrary vectorial fields.
• Successfully identified hybrid-order Poincaré spheres and reconstructed state vectors.
• Recovered non-separability and states-of-polarization for various vector beams.

Conclusions:

• The developed DMD-based technique offers a powerful tool for analyzing complex optical fields.
• This method facilitates a deeper understanding of vector beam properties and their applications.
• The approach provides a significant advancement in optical metrology and characterization.