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13 - Measurement of light's orbital angular momentum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

By
M. P. J. Lavery ,
J. Courtial  and
M. J. Padgett
Edited by
David L. Andrews  and
Mohamed Babiker
M. P. J. Lavery
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
J. Courtial
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
M. J. Padgett
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
David L. Andrews
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia
Mohamed Babiker
Affiliation:
University of York
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Summary

Introduction

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) carried by light is widely seen as an extremely useful optical characteristic, with applications in many areas of optics. It was Allen et al. [1] who recognised that a helically phased light beam with a phase cross-section of exp(iℓϕ) carries an OAM, with a value of ℓℏ per photon. Such a light beam contains an optical vortex line of ℓ on its axis. One issue that is yet to be completely resolved is the development of a simple and 100% efficient method for the measurement of OAM.

A better known case of optical angular momentum is spin angular momentum (SAM). SAM is associated with the polarisation state of the light; the spin angular momentum in a left and right circularly polarised beam is σℏ=±1, per photon, respectively [2]. The SAM can be easily determined through the use of a polarising beam splitter, where a π/4 waveplate converts circular polarised light into a p- or s-polarised state which is then transmitted or reflected to give one of two outputs, as shown in Fig. 13.1(a).

OAM arises from the amplitude cross-section of the beam and is therefore independent of the spin angular momentum. One key characteristic of beams carrying OAM is that whereas SAM has only two orthogonal states, the OAM is described by an unbounded state space, i.e. ℓ (as in exp(iℓϕ) can take any integer value [3].

Type
Chapter
Information
The Angular Momentum of Light , pp. 330 - 351
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2012

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References

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