Transferring linear motion of an optical wedge to rotational frequency shift in an orbital angular momentum interferometer

摘要

We build a modified Mach-Zehnder (M-Z) interferometer with an embedded Dove prism in one arm to observe the interference between two conjugate orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams. By inserting and moving an optical wedge vertically in the other arm, we find that its linear motion can induce a rotational frequency shift equivalently, as a consequence of phase transfer from the path difference to the azimuthal difference between two OAM beams. The micron-scale movement of the wedge is driven by a compact motorized translation stage and is manifested by a significant rotation of the interference petal-like patterns. Our scheme offers an accurate method to measure the optical wedge angle with a simple method of digital image processing. This work may also find potential applications in the field of velocity sensing or temperature sensing.