Vortices and angular momentum in general astigmatic modes

Jorrit Visser; Gerard Nienhuis

doi:10.1117/12.590351

14 March 2005 Vortices and angular momentum in general astigmatic modes

Jorrit Visser, Gerard Nienhuis

Proceedings Volume 5736, Nanomanipulation with Light; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.590351
Event: Integrated Optoelectronic Devices 2005, 2005, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

We describe basis sets of general astigmatic modes that are solutions of the paraxial wave equation. The fundamental modes are Gaussians with elliptical shapes of the spot size and elliptical or hyperbolic wave fronts. For a given fundamental mode, higher-order modes can be generated by the repeated application of two raising operators. The nature of the set of higher-order modes, corresponding to the Hermite-Gaussian, Laguerre-Gaussian, or intermediary modes, can be characterized by a point on a sphere, in direct analogy to the representation of polarization on the Poincare sphere. For general astigmatism, even the fundamental mode can carry high values of orbital angular momentum per photon. The additional angular momentum of higher modes as well as the vortex structure of the modes depends both on the degree of astigmatism and on the point on the sphere.

Citation Download Citation

Jorrit Visser and Gerard Nienhuis "Vortices and angular momentum in general astigmatic modes", Proc. SPIE 5736, Nanomanipulation with Light, (14 March 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.590351

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