title: Search for Hermite-Gauss mode rotation in cholesteric liquid crystals.
abstract: In theory, there are analogous transformations of light's spin and orbital angular momentum [Allen and Padgett, J. Mod. Opt. 54, 487 (2007)]; however, none have been observed experimentally yet. In particular, it is unknown if there exists for the orbital angular momentum of light an effect analogous to the spin angular momentum-based optical rotation; this would manifest itself as a rotation of the corresponding Hermite-Gauss mode. Here we report an experimental search for this effect in a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer, using strongly focussed, spin-orbit coupled light. We find that the relative phase velocities of the orbital modes constituting the Hermite-Gauss mode agree to within 10(-5).
authors: Huygens Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. loeffler@physics.leidenuniv.nl
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Löffler
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: van Exter
authors: G W
authors: GW
authors: 't Hooft
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Nienhuis
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Broer
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Woerdman
mesh_terms: D008027:Light; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*; D012399:Rotation; D012542:Scattering, Radiation