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Doppler effect tailoring: extra-red shift of structured light.
Zhenyu Wan1,2,3,4, Ziyi Tang1,2,3, Jian Wang5,6,7
1Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics and School of Optical and Electronic Information, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Nature Communications
|November 14, 2025
Summary
The structure-shearing Doppler effect (SDE) modifies the universal Doppler effect by introducing an extra red shift for structured light beams. This phenomenon is universal and has applications in motion sensing and beyond optics.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Wave Physics
- Metrology
Background:
- The Doppler effect describes wave frequency shifts due to target motion.
- Spatial structures of light beams can alter optical field velocities.
- The impact of spatial confinement on Doppler shifts of structured beams remains unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate the concept of Doppler effect tailoring.
- To investigate the influence of optical field transverse structure on Doppler shifts.
- To introduce and characterize the structure-shearing Doppler effect (SDE).
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of Doppler shifts for structured optical fields.
- Experimental demonstration of the structure-shearing Doppler effect.
- Development of a homodyne-free Doppler velocimeter based on SDE.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated an extra red shift in Doppler shifts for structured beams, termed SDE.
- Theoretical analysis confirmed SDE as a universal effect for light waves, photons, and potentially other wave types.
- Developed a robust, reference-free Doppler velocimeter using SDE.
Conclusions:
- The transverse structure of optical fields naturally introduces an additional red shift to the Doppler effect.
- SDE is a universal phenomenon applicable beyond optics, including electromagnetic and sound waves.
- SDE offers new insights for astronomical observations, laser cooling, and advanced motion sensing in engineering.
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