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Unveiling a Truncated Optical Lattice Associated with a Triangular Aperture Using Light’s Orbital Angular Momentum

J. M. Hickmann, E. J. S. Fonseca, W. C. Soares, and S. Chávez-Cerda
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 053904 – Published 29 July 2010
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    Abstract

    We show that the orbital angular momentum can be used to unveil lattice properties hidden in diffraction patterns of a simple triangular aperture. Depending on the orbital angular momentum of the incident beam, the far field diffraction pattern reveals a truncated optical lattice associated with the illuminated aperture. This effect can be used to measure the topological charge of light beams.

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    • Received 7 September 2009

    DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.053904

    ©2010 American Physical Society

    Authors & Affiliations

    J. M. Hickmann*, E. J. S. Fonseca, W. C. Soares, and S. Chávez-Cerda†

    • Optics and Materials Group—Optma, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Caixa Postal 2051, 57061-970, Maceió, AL, Brazil

    • *jmh@optma.org;www.optma.org
    • †Permanent address: Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica, Apdo Postal 51/216 Puebla, México. sabino@inaoep.mx

    See Also

    Triangular Hole Reveals Light’s Rotation

    Don Monroe
    Phys. Rev. Focus 26, 5 (2010)

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    Vol. 105, Iss. 5 — 30 July 2010

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    • Figure 1
      Figure 1
      Results for the diffraction of a light beam possessing OAM by a triangular aperture. Numerical (upper part) and experimental (lower part) results for m ranging from one to three. For the numerical results, light intensity increases from blue to red; for the experimental ones, from black to white. The inset in the m=1 numerical result shows the orientation of the triangular aperture.Reuse & Permissions
    • Figure 2
      Figure 2
      Contour lines for the central fringe for the light diffracted separately by each edge forming the triangle for the topological charge m being equal to (a) 0, (b) 1, (c) 2, and (d) 3. The triangular aperture is in the same position as in Fig. 1.Reuse & Permissions
    • Figure 3
      Figure 3
      Contour plot showing the diffraction pattern produced by the horizontal (a), right (b), and left (c) edge of the triangle. Also the intensity plot obtained by summing the field diffracted by each edge (d) producing the lattice for m=1. The intensity scale is the same as in Fig. 1. The triangular aperture is in the same position as in Fig. 1.Reuse & Permissions
    • Figure 4
      Figure 4
      Effect of changing the sign of the topological charge in the diffraction patterns by a triangular aperture. (a) Incident beam with m=−7. (b) Incident beam with m=7. The intensity scale is the same as in Fig. 1. The triangular aperture is in the same position as in Fig. 1.Reuse & Permissions
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