Multi-twist polarization ribbon topologies in highly-confined optical fields

Journal article (2019)

Authors

T.A. Bauer QN/Kuipers Lab - AS , Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Kavli institute of nanoscience Delft, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Peter Banzer Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, University of Ottawa, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Frédéric Bouchard University of Ottawa
Sergej Orlov State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology
Lorenzo Marrucci Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Enrico Santamato Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Robert W. Boyd University of Rochester Institute of Optics, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, University of Ottawa
Ebrahim Karimi University of Ottawa, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
Gerd Leuchs University of Ottawa, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
Research Group
QN/Kuipers Lab (AS) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2019 T.A. Bauer, Peter Banzer, Frédéric Bouchard, Sergej Orlov, Lorenzo Marrucci, Enrico Santamato, Robert W. Boyd, Ebrahim Karimi, Gerd Leuchs
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ab171b
More Info
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Published Date

2019

Language

English

Faculty

Applied Sciences

Department

QN/Quantum Nanoscience

Research Group

QN/Kuipers Lab

Abstract

Electromagnetic plane waves, solutions to Maxwell's equations, are said to be 'transverse' in vacuum. Namely, the waves' oscillatory electric and magnetic fields are confined within a plane transverse to the waves' propagation direction. Under tight-focusing conditions however, the field can exhibit longitudinal electric or magnetic components, transverse spin angular momentum, or non-trivial topologies such as Möbius strips. Here, we show that when a suitably spatially structured beam is tightly focused, a three-dimensional polarization topology in the form of a ribbon with two full twists appears in the focal volume. We study experimentally the stability and dynamics of the observed polarization ribbon by exploring its topological structure for various radii upon focusing and for different propagation planes.