Detecting orbital angular momentum through division-of-amplitude interference with a circular plasmonic lens.
We demonstrate a novel detection scheme for the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light using circular plasmonic lens. Owing to a division-of-amplitude interference phenomenon between the surface plasmon waves and directly transmitted light, specific intensity distributions are formed near the plasmonic lens surface under different OAM excitations. Due to different phase behaviors of the evanescent surface plasmon wave and the direct transmission, interference patterns rotate as the observation plane moves away from the lens surface. The rotation direction is a direct measure of the sign of OAM, while the amount of rotation is linked to the absolute value of the OAM. This OAM detection scheme is validated experimentally and numerically. Analytical expressions are derived to provide insights and explanations of this detection scheme. This work forms the basis for the realization of a compact and integrated OAM detection architect that may significantly benefit optical information processing with OAM states.
Key Laboratory of Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Ai-Ping
AP
Liu
Xiao
X
Xiong
Xi-Feng
XF
Ren
Yong-Jing
YJ
Cai
Guang-Hao
GH
Rui
Qi-Wen
QW
Zhan
Guang-Can
GC
Guo
Guo-Ping
GP
Guo
D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*