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Locking Orbital Angular Momentum with Linear Momentum of Light
Hui-Ming Wang1,2, Yuan Chen3, Ming-Yuan Chen4
1Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Center for Integrated Quantum Information Technologies (IQIT), School of Physics and Astronomy and State Key Laboratory of Photonics and Communications, Shanghai 200240, China.
Physical Review Letters
|October 19, 2025
Summary
Researchers achieved on-demand generation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) vortex light beams on a photonic chip. This breakthrough utilizes OAM-momentum locking in chiral optical waveguides, enabling robust light manipulation for advanced information processing.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Quantum Optics
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Spin-orbit interaction links light's propagation direction and spin, crucial for chiral quantum optics.
- Photonic orbital angular momentum (OAM) offers high-dimensional capabilities for information processing.
- Integrated OAM technology faces challenges due to degenerate OAM mode generation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To overcome the challenge of integrated OAM mode generation.
- To achieve deterministic and robust generation of on-demand OAM vortex light beams.
- To explore new correlations between OAM and linear momentum of light.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a chiral optical waveguide with an Archimedean cross-section.
- Inducing orbit-orbit interaction within the waveguide.
- Observing and leveraging OAM-momentum locking.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated OAM-momentum locking of light.
- Enabled deterministic and robust generation of on-demand OAM vortex light beams.
- Successfully implemented on a photonic chip.
Conclusions:
- OAM-momentum locking provides a novel approach for on-chip OAM generation.
- This technique facilitates high-dimensional chiral physical effects and on-chip light manipulation.
- Opens new avenues for integrated photonic information technologies.
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