Production, detection and manipulation of vortex beams and radially polarized beams

摘要

In this work we describe techniques for the generation of vortex beams, including vortex generating diffraction gratings and diffractive lenses, as well as some possible applications in optical image processing. We then analyze the description of radially polarized beams in terms of superposition of such vortex beams. We present some methods for the production of radially polarized light, that include patterned linear polarizers, specially designed liquid crystal devices and spatial light modulators (SLMs). We analyze the manipulation of this radial polarization by means of wave-plates, in order to obtain other non-standard spatially variant polarized light beams. Theoretical analysis are presented based on the Jones matrix theory, and experimental results are included for all cases.