Three-dimensional Dammann vortex array with tunable topological charge

Abstract

We describe a kind of true 3D array of focused vortices with tunable topological charge, called the 3D Dammann vortex array. This 3D Dammann vortex array is arranged into the structure of a true 3D lattice in the focal region of a focusing objective, and these focused vortices are located at each node of the 3D lattice. A scheme based on a Dammann vortex grating (DVG) and a mirror is proposed to provide a choice for changing the topological charge of the 3D Dammann vortex array. For experimental demonstration, a 5×5×5 Dammann vortex array is implemented by combining a 1×7 DVG, a 1×5 Dammann zone plate, and another 5×5 Dammann grating. The topological charge of this Dammann vortex array can be tuned (from -2 to +2 with an interval of +1) by moving and rotating the mirror to select different diffraction orders of the 1×7 DVG as the incident beam. Because of these attractive properties, this 3D Dammann vortex array should be of high interest for its potential applications in various areas, such as 3D simultaneous optical manipulation, 3D parallel vortex scanning microscope, and also parallel vortex information transmission.

Generation of dipole vortex array using spiral Dammann zone plates

“…Those vortices of the dipole array are located in several coaxial planes along the optical axis, and thus this vortex array enables one to freely manipulate the focused vortex on a certain cross-sectional plane by changing topological charge of the incident beam. Moreover, similar to a 3D monopole vortex array, we will demonstrate that it is also possible to achieve a 3D dipole vortex array when the SDZP is employed to replace the DZP in a focusing system of 3D Dammann vortex array described in [11].…”

“…In our previous paper [11], we showed that a 3D monopole vortex array can be achieved by introducing a vortex beam as the incident field of the focusing system of a 3D Dammann array that is mainly based on a DZP and a conventional two-dimensional (2D) DG. Here we use the 1 × 5 SDZP designed above to replace the DZP in the focusing system of the 3D Dammann vortex array and all other parts of the system are the same as the experimental setup shown in Fig.…”

“…Here we use the 1 × 5 SDZP designed above to replace the DZP in the focusing system of the 3D Dammann vortex array and all other parts of the system are the same as the experimental setup shown in Fig. 2 in [11]. The whole system after replacement of the DZP with an SDZP is shown in Fig.…”

“…Tao et al [10] presented a scheme to produce a sequence of monopole focused optical vortices along the optical axis, which is mainly based on a fractal zone plate modulated by helical phase structure. More recently, it has been demonstrated that a true three-dimensional (3D) lattice array of focused vortices with tunable topological charge, called a 3D Dammann vortex array, was realized in the focal region of an objective [11]. Compared with the monopole one, the dipole vortex array is usually generated by the interference of several light beams [8].…”

Generation of programmable 3D optical vortex structures through devil’s vortex-lens arrays

“…Dammann gratings structures have also been employed to produce sets of parallel vortex patterns [12,13]. In [14] the authors describe a setup based on a Dammann vortex grating to generate a 3D array of focused vortices with tunable topological charge. The phase modulation of an annular aperture array has also been proposed [15] to create distributions of high-order vortex cones.…”