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Updated: Mar 15, 2026
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Preparation of Liquid Crystal Networks for Macroscopic Oscillatory Motion Induced by Light
Published on: September 20, 2017
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Ground-state orbital angular momentum lasing from liquid crystal torons embedded in a microcavity.
Marcin Muszyński1, Daniil Bobylev2, Piotr Kapuściński1
1Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Science Advances
|March 13, 2026
Summary
Topological defects called torons in liquid crystals create a gauge field. This field enables robust lasing of orbital angular momentum laser beams, crucial for optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and condensed matter physics.
- Exploration of topological defects and their applications.
Background:
- Orbital angular momentum (OAM) laser beams are vital for optical tweezers and ultrafast communications.
- Generating OAM beams efficiently remains a significant challenge in photonics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a novel method for generating OAM laser beams using topological defects in liquid crystals.
- To investigate the role of non-Abelian gauge fields in topological state inversion.
Main Methods:
- Embedding torons (topological defects) within a microcavity.
- Utilizing the generated real-space non-Abelian gauge field.
- Analyzing the topological inversion of ground and excited states.
Main Results:
- Torons in a microcavity generate a real-space non-Abelian gauge field.
- This field induces topological inversion of quantum states.
- The resulting ground state exhibits robust lasing with nonzero OAM in both circular polarization components.
Conclusions:
- Torons within microcavities offer a new pathway for OAM beam generation.
- This method provides robust lasing with tailored topological properties.
- Potential applications in optical communications and advanced optical systems.
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