Cylindrical vector beams: from mathematical concepts to applications
TL;DR: An overview of the recent developments in the field of cylindrical vector beams is provided in this paper, where the authors also discuss the potential of using these beams in other fields.
Abstract: An overview of the recent developments in the field of cylindrical vector beams is
provided. As one class of spatially variant polarization, cylindrical vector beams
are the axially symmetric beam solution to the full vector electromagnetic wave
equation. These beams can be generated via different active and passive methods.
Techniques for manipulating these beams while maintaining the polarization symmetry
have also been developed. Their special polarization symmetry gives rise to unique
high-numerical-aperture focusing properties that find important applications in
nanoscale optical imaging and manipulation. The prospects for cylindrical vector
beams and their applications in other fields are also briefly discussed.
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TL;DR: A metasurface platform based on high-contrast dielectric elliptical nanoposts that provides complete control of polarization and phase with subwavelength spatial resolution and an experimentally measured efficiency ranging from 72% to 97%, depending on the exact design.
Abstract: Metasurfaces are planar structures that locally modify the polarization, phase and amplitude of light in reflection or transmission, thus enabling lithographically patterned flat optical components with functionalities controlled by design. Transmissive metasurfaces are especially important, as most optical systems used in practice operate in transmission. Several types of transmissive metasurface have been realized, but with either low transmission efficiencies or limited control over polarization and phase. Here, we show a metasurface platform based on high-contrast dielectric elliptical nanoposts that provides complete control of polarization and phase with subwavelength spatial resolution and an experimentally measured efficiency ranging from 72% to 97%, depending on the exact design. Such complete control enables the realization of most free-space transmissive optical elements such as lenses, phase plates, wave plates, polarizers, beamsplitters, as well as polarization-switchable phase holograms and arbitrary vector beam generators using the same metamaterial platform.
2,126 citations
Cites background from "Cylindrical vector beams: from math..."
...It has been recently shown that cylindrical vector beams show unique features such as focus shaping when focused with a high numerical aperture lens [29]....
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TL;DR: Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are waves that remain localized even though they coexist with a continuous spectrum of radiating waves that can carry energy away.
Abstract: Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are waves that remain localized even though they coexist with a continuous spectrum of radiating waves that can carry energy away. Their very existence defies conventional wisdom. Although BICs were first proposed in quantum mechanics, they are a general wave phenomenon and have since been identified in electromagnetic waves, acoustic waves in air, water waves and elastic waves in solids. These states have been studied in a wide range of material systems, such as piezoelectric materials, dielectric photonic crystals, optical waveguides and fibres, quantum dots, graphene and topological insulators. In this Review, we describe recent developments in this field with an emphasis on the physical mechanisms that lead to BICs across seemingly very different materials and types of waves. We also discuss experimental realizations, existing applications and directions for future work. The fascinating wave phenomenon of ‘bound states in the continuum’ spans different material and wave systems, including electron, electromagnetic and mechanical waves. In this Review, we focus on the common physical mechanisms underlying these bound states, whilst also discussing recent experimental realizations, current applications and future opportunities for research.
1,612 citations
TL;DR: A higher-order Poincaré sphere and Stokes parameter representation of the higher- order states of polarization of vector vortex beams that includes radial and azimuthal polarized cylindrical vector beams is presented.
Abstract: A higher-order Poincare sphere and Stokes parameter representation of the higher-order states of polarization of vector vortex beams that includes radial and azimuthal polarized cylindrical vector beams is presented. The higher-order Poincare sphere is constructed by naturally extending the Jones vector basis of plane wave polarization in terms of optical spin angular momentum to the total optical angular momentum that includes higher dimensional orbital angular momentum. The salient properties of this representation are illustrated by its ability to describe the higher-order modes of optical fiber waveguides, more exotic vector beams, and a higher-order Pancharatnam-Berry geometric phase.
642 citations
University of Queensland1, University of the Witwatersrand2, University of Bristol3, University of East Anglia4, University of Arizona5, University of Münster6, Max Planck Society7, University of Ottawa8, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare9, University of Glasgow10, Innsbruck Medical University11, State University of New York System12, The Institute of Optics13, Polytechnic University of Catalonia14, University of Victoria15, University of Southern California16, University of Oregon17, Purdue University18
TL;DR: In this paper, the key fields within structured light from the perspective of experts in those areas, providing insight into the current state and the challenges their respective fields face, as well as the exciting prospects for the future that are yet to be realized.
Abstract: Structured light refers to the generation and application of custom light fields. As the tools and technology to create and detect structured light have evolved, steadily the applications have begun to emerge. This roadmap touches on the key fields within structured light from the perspective of experts in those areas, providing insight into the current state and the challenges their respective fields face. Collectively the roadmap outlines the venerable nature of structured light research and the exciting prospects for the future that are yet to be realized.
639 citations
TL;DR: This work shows that robust BICs in photonics are vortex centers in the polarization directions of far-field radiation, defined by the winding number of the polarization vectors, which ensure their robust existence and govern their generation, evolution, and annihilation.
Abstract: Optical bound states in the continuum (BICs) have recently been realized in photonic crystal slabs, where the disappearance of out-of-plane radiation turns leaky resonances into guided modes with infinite lifetimes. We show that such BICs are vortex centers in the polarization directions of far-field radiation. They carry conserved and quantized topological charges, defined by the winding number of the polarization vectors, which ensure their robust existence and govern their generation, evolution, and annihilation. Our findings connect robust BICs in photonics to a wide range of topological physical phenomena.
593 citations
References
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TL;DR: In this article, the optical properties of submicrometre cylindrical cavities in metallic films were explored and it was shown that arrays of such holes display highly unusual zero-order transmission spectra at wavelengths larger than the array period, beyond which no diffraction occurs.
Abstract: The desire to use and control photons in a manner analogous to the control of electrons in solids has inspired great interest in such topics as the localization of light, microcavity quantum electrodynamics and near-field optics1,2,3,4,5,6. A fundamental constraint in manipulating light is the extremely low transmittivity of apertures smaller than the wavelength of the incident photon. While exploring the optical properties of submicrometre cylindrical cavities in metallic films, we have found that arrays of such holes display highly unusual zero-order transmission spectra (where the incident and detected light are collinear) at wavelengths larger than the array period, beyond which no diffraction occurs. In particular, sharp peaks in transmission are observed at wavelengths as large as ten times the diameter of the cylinders. At these maxima the transmission efficiency can exceed unity (when normalized to the area of the holes), which is orders of magnitude greater than predicted by standard aperture theory. Our experiments provide evidence that these unusual optical properties are due to the coupling of light with plasmons — electronic excitations — on the surface of the periodically patterned metal film. Measurements of transmission as a function of the incident light angle result in a photonic band diagram. These findings may find application in novel photonic devices.
7,316 citations
TL;DR: A new type of scanning fluorescence microscope capable of resolving 35 nm in the far field is proposed, overcome the diffraction resolution limit by employing stimulated emission to inhibit the fluorescence process in the outer regions of the excitation point-spread function.
Abstract: We propose a new type of scanning fluorescence microscope capable of resolving 35 nm in the far field. We overcome the diffraction resolution limit by employing stimulated emission to inhibit the fluorescence process in the outer regions of the excitation point-spread function. In contrast to near-field scanning optical microscopy, this method can produce three-dimensional images of translucent specimens.
5,110 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a new type of scanning fluorescence microscope capable of resolving 35 nm in the far field by employing stimulated emission to inhibit the fluorescence process in the outer regions of the excitation point spread function.
Abstract: We propose a new type of scanning fluorescence microscope capable of resolving 35 nm in the far field. We overcome the diffraction resolution limit by employing stimulated emission to inhibit the fluorescence process in the outer regions of the excitation point-spread function. In contrast to near-field scanning optical microscopy, this method can produce three-dimensional images of translucent specimens.
3,987 citations
TL;DR: This work demonstrated sub–diffraction-limited imaging with 60-nanometer half-pitch resolution, or one-sixth of the illumination wavelength, using silver as a natural optical superlens and showed that arbitrary nanostructures can be imaged with good fidelity.
Abstract: Recent theory has predicted a superlens that is capable of producing sub–diffraction-limited images. This superlens would allow the recovery of evanescent waves in an image via the excitation of surface plasmons. Using silver as a natural optical superlens, we demonstrated sub–diffraction-limited imaging with 60-nanometer half-pitch resolution, or one-sixth of the illumination wavelength. By proper design of the working wavelength and the thickness of silver that allows access to a broad spectrum of subwavelength features, we also showed that arbitrary nanostructures can be imaged with good fidelity. The optical superlens promises exciting avenues to nanoscale optical imaging and ultrasmall optoelectronic devices.
3,753 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an investigation of the structure of the electromagnetic field near the focus of an aplanatic system which images a point source is made, and the results are illustrated by diagrams and in a tabulated form based on data obtained by extensive calculations on an electronic computor.
Abstract: An investigation is made of the structure of the electromagnetic field near the focus of an aplanatic system which images a point source. First the case of a linearly polarized incident field is examined and expressions are derived for the electric and magnetic vectors in the image space. Some general consequences of the formulae are then discussed. In particular the symmetry properties of the field with respect to the focal plane are noted and the state of polarization of the image region is investigated. The distribution of the time-averaged electric and magnetic energy densities and of the energy flow (Poynting vector) in the focal plane is studied in detail, and the results are illustrated by diagrams and in a tabulated form based on data obtained by extensive calculations on an electronic computor. The case of an unpolarized field is also investigated. The solution is riot restricted to systems of low aperture, and the computational results cover, in fact, selected values of the angular semi-aperture a on the image side, in the whole range 0 ≤ α ≤ 90°. The limiting case α → 0 is examined in detail and it is shown that the field is then completely characterized by a single, generally complex, scalar function, which turns out to be identical with that of the classical scalar theory of Airy, Lommel and Struve. The results have an immediate bearing on the resolving power of image forming systems; they also help our understanding of the significance of the scalar diffraction theory, which is customarily employed, without a proper justification, in the analysis of images in lowaperture systems.
2,636 citations