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Polarization singularities from unfolding an optical vortex through a birefringent crystal

Polarization singularities from unfolding an optical vortex through a birefringent crystal
Polarization singularities from unfolding an optical vortex through a birefringent crystal
Optical vortices (nodal lines and phase singularities) are the generic singularities of scalar optics but are unstable in vector optics. We investigate experimentally and theoretically the unfolding of a uniformly polarized optical vortex beam on propagation through a birefringent crystal and characterize the output field in terms of polarization singularities (C lines and points of circular polarization; L surfaces and lines of linear polarization). The field is described both in the 2-dimensional transverse plane, and in three dimensions, where the third is abstract, representing an optical path length propagated through the crystal. Many phenomena of singular optics, such as topological charge conservation and singularity reconnections, occur naturally in the description.
0031-9007
253901-[4pp]
Flossmann, Florian
9ce8de69-2dba-4158-9b63-faf0b52e6bea
Schwarz, Ulrich T.
56d31d07-e79c-4d70-ae77-95b247626a2d
Maier, Max
8fc3301b-ae31-41fa-97ed-62742f10d39c
Dennis, Mark R.
8b00c8a0-30e2-4690-bfde-02916f80de2f
Flossmann, Florian
9ce8de69-2dba-4158-9b63-faf0b52e6bea
Schwarz, Ulrich T.
56d31d07-e79c-4d70-ae77-95b247626a2d
Maier, Max
8fc3301b-ae31-41fa-97ed-62742f10d39c
Dennis, Mark R.
8b00c8a0-30e2-4690-bfde-02916f80de2f

Flossmann, Florian, Schwarz, Ulrich T., Maier, Max and Dennis, Mark R. (2005) Polarization singularities from unfolding an optical vortex through a birefringent crystal. Physical Review Letters, 95 (25), 253901-[4pp]. (doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.253901).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Optical vortices (nodal lines and phase singularities) are the generic singularities of scalar optics but are unstable in vector optics. We investigate experimentally and theoretically the unfolding of a uniformly polarized optical vortex beam on propagation through a birefringent crystal and characterize the output field in terms of polarization singularities (C lines and points of circular polarization; L surfaces and lines of linear polarization). The field is described both in the 2-dimensional transverse plane, and in three dimensions, where the third is abstract, representing an optical path length propagated through the crystal. Many phenomena of singular optics, such as topological charge conservation and singularity reconnections, occur naturally in the description.

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Published date: 2005

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 29396
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/29396
ISSN: 0031-9007
PURE UUID: 270d53ef-e2dc-4f24-9b6c-bc6f35d9dc7e

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Date deposited: 12 May 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 07:31

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Contributors

Author: Florian Flossmann
Author: Ulrich T. Schwarz
Author: Max Maier
Author: Mark R. Dennis

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