Digital toolbox for vector field characterization

Vectorial structured light fields have displayed properties advantageous in many disciplines ranging from communications, microscopy and metrology to laser cutting and characterizing quantum channels. The generation of these fields has been made convenient through the implementation of nanophotonic metasurfaces amongst other static and digital techniques. Consequently, the detection and characterisation of these fields is of equal importance. Most existing techniques involve using separate polarization optics and correlation filters to perform the projective measurements – or are only able to perform such measurements on a subset of possible vector states. We present a compact, fully automated measurement technique based on a digital micro-mirror device (DMD), which facilitates the complete, local and global, characterisation of the spatial mode and polarization degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) for arbitrary vectorial fields. We demonstrate our approach through the identification of relevant hybrid-order Poincaré spheres, the reconstruction of state vectors on these spheres, as well as the recovery of the non-separability and states-of-polarization for a variety of vector beams.

Vibration Localization and Anti-Localization of Nonlinear Multi-Support Beams with Support Periodicity Defect

A response analysis method for nonlinear beams with spatial distribution parameters and non-periodic supports was developed. The proposed method is implemented in four steps: first, the nonlinear partial differential equation of the beams is transformed into linear partial differential equations with space-varying parameters by using a perturbation method; second, the space-varying parameters are separated into a periodic part and a non-periodic part describing the periodicity defect, and the linear partial differential equations are separated into equations for the periodic and non-periodic parts; third, the equations are converted into ordinary differential equations with multiple modes coupling by using the Galerkin method; fourth, the equations are solved by using a harmonic balance method to obtain vibration responses, which are used to discover dynamic characteristics including the amplitude–frequency relation and spatial mode. The proposed method considers multiple vibration modes in the response analysis of nonlinear non-periodic structures and accounts for mode-coupling effects resulting from structural nonlinearity and parametric non-periodicity. Thus, it can handle nonlinear non-periodic structures with a high parameter-varying wave in wide frequency vibration. In numerical studies, a nonlinear beam with non-periodic supports (resulting in non-periodic distribution parameters or periodicity defect) under harmonic excitations was explored using the proposed method, which revealed some new dynamic response characteristics of this kind of structure and the influences of non-periodic parameters. The characteristics include remarkable variation in frequency response and spatial mode, and in particular, vibration localization and anti-localization. The results have potential applications in vibration control and the support damage detection of nonlinear structures with non-periodic supports.

Angular momentum redirection phase of vector beams in a non-planar geometry

An electric field propagating along a non-planar path can acquire geometric phases. Previously, geometric phases have been linked to spin redirection and independently to spatial mode transformation, resulting in the rotation of polarisation and intensity profiles, respectively. We investigate the non-planar propagation of scalar and vector light fields and demonstrate that polarisation and intensity profiles rotate by the same angle. The geometric phase acquired is proportional to j = ℓ + σ, where ℓ is the topological charge and σ is the helicity. Radial and azimuthally polarised beams with j = 0 are eigenmodes of the system and are not affected by the geometric path. The effects considered here are relevant for systems relying on photonic spin Hall effects, polarisation and vector microscopy, as well as topological optics in communication systems.