Constraints on the detection of topological charge of optical vortices using self-reference interferometry

Abstract

Self-reference interferometry of optical vortices using a Michelson interferometer is investigated in this paper. It is found that the detection of topological charge (TC) for the optical vortices is constrained by some physical conditions. We present these conditions through the theoretical analyses, numerical simulation and experimental results. For different parameters, the maximal detectable TCs are different, which is helpful for the measurement of TC in the practical application. Within the range allowed by the constrained conditions, we also study the detection of TC using the interference pattern of two-way optical vortex by changing the inclined angle of one mirror of the Michelson interferometer.

An optical analogue for rotating BTZ black holes

“…Due to the widespread technological applications in manipulating small macroscopic particles [32], the cooling and trapping of neutral atoms [33], Bose-Einstein condensates [34], driving micro fabricated gears for creating micrometre-scale motors [35] and so on, there has been increasing interest in the generation of optical vortex which has helical wavefront and undefined phase at an isolated zero amplitude point in recent years. Several methods for generating optical vortex have been reported, including the use of computer generated holograms [36], geometric mode converters [37,38], spatial light modulators (SLM) [39][40][41], and spiral phase plates [42][43][44]. Here we suggest a method using liquid crystal spatial SLM to generate the optical vortex with the requirement given in Eq.…”

An optical analogue for rotating BTZ black holes

“…Due to the widespread technological applications in manipulating small macroscopic particles [32], the cooling and trapping of neutral atoms [33], BEC [34], driving micro fabricated gears for creating micrometre-scale motors [35] and so on, there has been increasing interest in the generation of optical vortex which has helical wavefront and undefined phase at an isolated zero amplitude point in recent years. Several methods for generating optical vortex have been reported, including the use of computer-generated holograms [36], geometric mode converters [37,38], spatial light modulators (SLM) [39][40][41], and spiral phase plates [42][43][44]. Here we suggest a method using liquid crystal spatial SLM to generate the optical vortex with the requirement given in equation (12).…”