The interaction of spin and intrinsic orbital angular momentum of light is observed, as evidenced by length-dependent rotations of both spatial patterns and optical polarization in a cylindrically symmetric isotropic optical fiber. Such rotations occur in a straight few-mode fiber when superpositions of two modes with parallel and antiparallel orientation of spin and intrinsic orbital angular momentum (IOAM=2ℏ) are excited, resulting from a degeneracy splitting of the propagation constants of the modes.

/pdf/observation-of-interaction-of-spin-and-intrinsic-orbital-gqzuc65wk8.pdf

Observation of Interaction of Spin and Intrinsic Orbital Angular Momentum of Light.

The analytical expression for the propagation of guided optical vortices through free space is derived and used to study the dynamic evolution of guided optical vortices after passing through the free space, and the dependence of guided optical vortices on the control parameters where the effect of propagation distance is stressed. It is shown that the motion, pair creation and annihilation of guided optical vortices may take place. In particular, the creation and annihilation of a pair of guided optical vortices do not take place by varying fiber length.

Free-space propagation of guided optical vortices excited in an annular core fiber

We report here the controlled generation of a linearly polarized first-order azimuthally asymmetric beam (F-AAB) in a dual-mode fiber (DMF) by appropriate superposition of selectively excited zeroth-order vector modes that are doughnut-shaped azimuthally symmetric beams (D-ASBs). We first demonstrate continually switching polarization mode structures having an identical two-lobe intensity profile (i.e., intra-F-AAB conversion). Then, under a distinct launching state, we generate mode structures progressively toggling between the doughnut-shaped profile and two-lobe pattern having dissimilar polarization orientations (i.e., F-AAB to D-ASB conversion). Interestingly, a decentralized elliptical Gaussian beam possessing homogenous spatial polarization is obtained by enhancing the contribution of the fundamental mode (HE11/LP01) in selectively excited F-AAB. A smoothly varying azimuth of the input beam in this situation resulted in redistribution of transverse energy procuring a unique and exciting unconventional two-grain T-polarized beam having mutually orthogonal state of polarization (SOP). All of the above three were achieved under a given set of launching conditions (tilt/offset) of a Gaussian mode (TEM00) devised with changing SOP of the input beam. A strong modulation in the output beam characteristics was also observed with the variation in propagation distance (for a fixed input SOP) owing to the large difference in propagation constants of the participating modes (LP01 and one of the F-AABs). Finally, this particular study led to a design for a low-cost highly sensitive strain measuring device based on tracking the centroid movement of the output intensity pattern. Each of our experimentally observed intensity/polarization distributions is theoretically mapped on a one-to-one basis considering a linear superposition of appropriately excited LP basis modes of the waveguide toward a complete understanding of the polarization and mode propagation in the dual-mode structure.

Polarization and propagation characteristics of switchable first-order azimuthally asymmetric beam generated in dual-mode fiber.

We show that when an electron or photon propagates in a cylindrically symmetric waveguide, it experiences both a zitterbewegung effect and a spin-orbit interaction leading to identical propagation dynamics for both particles. Applying a unified perturbative approach to both particles simultaneously, we find that to first-order in perturbation theory their Hamiltonians each contain identical Darwin (zitterbewegung) and spin-orbit terms, resulting in the unification of their dynamics. The presence of the zitterbewegung effect may be interpreted physically as the delocalization of the electron on the scale of its Compton wavelength, or the delocalization of the photon on the scale of its wavelength in the waveguide. The presence of the spin-orbit interaction leads to the prediction of several rotational effects: the spatial or time evolution of either particle's spin/polarization vector is controlled by the sign of its orbital angular momentum quantum number, or conversely, its spatial wave function is controlled by its spin angular momentum.

/pdf/unified-dynamics-of-electrons-and-photons-via-zitterbewegung-3hcrhdme0t.pdf

Unified dynamics of electrons and photons via Zitterbewegung and spin-orbit interaction

Whispering gallery modes in microspheres are excited by light delivered to them via optical fibers imbedded in a half-block coupler. The corresponding light intensity resonances in microspheres and coupling of two low-order linearly polarized modes in the fibers, LP01 and LP11, into the microspheres are observed. The LP01 and LP11 modes are delivered to the microsphere via a cylindrical optical fiber carrying light at two operating wavelengths, 1550 and 1300 nm correspondingly. The resonances behavioral differences generated by these fiber modes are also observed and explained. The properties of resonances generated by the LP01 and LP11 modes are analyzed using a linear polarizer inserted in the path of light propagating in optical fibers.

Coupling of low-order LP modes propagating in cylindrical waveguides into whispering gallery modes in microspheres.

A theoretical and experimental analysis is made of the optical Magnus effect in multimode optical fibers excited by a laser beam whose wavefront has a pure screw dislocation and carries the topological charge ±l, where l is the azimuthal quantum number. It is found that the angular rotation of the plane of propagation of a local wave depends on the magnitude and sign of the topological charge and changes qualitatively when the circulation of the polarization is reversed. The phase mechanism is attributed to spin-orbit interaction in the photon ensemble. It is demonstrated experimentally that the optical Magnus effect in a few-mode fiber for the CP11 mode at the beat length is observed as a rotation of the axis of the pure edge dislocation field through an angle proportional to the beat length.

A. V. Volyar

Papers

Vortex optical Magnus effect in multimode fibers