Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2211.06243 · Applied Sciences

Topology and Polarization of Optical Vortex Fields from Atomic Phased Arrays

Hao Wang, Andrei V. Afanasev

Published May 4, 2023• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We developed a theoretical formalism for the generation of optical vortices by phased arrays of atoms. Using the Jacobi–Anger expansion, we demonstrated the resulting field topology and determined the least number of individual atoms necessary for the generation of vortices with a given topological charge. Vector vortices were considered, taking into account both the spin and orbital angular momenta of electromagnetic fields. It was found for the vortex field that, in the far field limit, the spatial variation in spin-density matrix parameters—orientation and alignment—is independent of the distance to the radiation source.

DOI
10.3390/app13095672

Related papers

Spin-orbit coupling of optical vector vortices in coherently prepared media

Dharma P. Permana, Mazena Mackoit Sinkevičienė, Julius Ruseckas +1 more

We investigate the propagation of an optical vector vortex weakly interacting with a coherently prepared atomic medium (phaseonium) in a three-level $Λ$ configuration. The vector beam consists of vortex pulse pairs with right- and left-circular polarizations, corresponding to opposite spin angular momentum (SAM), and carrying opposite orbital angular momentum (OAM) charges $\pm l$. We show that during the propagation of the vortex pairs, analytically obtained in the linear regime, the medium inherits the topology of the vortex pair, mapping the OAM onto a spatially structured atomic coherence. This mapping produces $2|l|-$fold azimuthal transparency structures that reshape the beam intensity from a ring into a petal-like pattern. The OAM-structured atomic coherence induces a corresponding optical anisotropy within the medium, which feeds back into the propagating vector beam, resulting in optical spin-orbit coupling manifested as SAM exchange, rotation, and evolution of polarization textures. Depending on the initial ground-state population of the phaseonium, the polarization state evolves between left-circular, linear, and right-circular polarizations.

quant-pharXiv:2511.17406•Physical Review A•Nov 24, 2025•3 citations

On the gauge-invariant orbital angular momentum of vector optical vortices in the paraxial approximation and beyond

E. V. Maliutina, E. A. Vashukevich, V. A. Leonov +2 more

In this paper we present a gauge-invariant formalism for describing the spin and orbital angular momenta of scalar and vector optical vortices. The correction term, arising from consistent incorporation of the transverse vector potential's nonlocality, restores gauge invariance and makes it possible to separate the total angular momentum into spin and orbital components. We propose a method for calculating the orbital and spin angular momenta of multimode vector vortex fields and show that the orbital angular momentum of such beams contains two qualitatively different components. The polarization-independent contribution to the orbital angular momentum is related to the topological charge that determines the order of the phase singularity, while the polarization-dependent one is proportional to the helical topological charge that determines the spatial inhomogeneity of the polarization. We also discuss the quantization procedure for fields with spatially inhomogeneous polarization in terms of modes with a helical topological charge, and examine the limits of applicability of the proposed formalism.

physics.opticsCross-listedarXiv:2610.40523•Oct 30, 2026

Tunable Optical Rotation with an M-Type Atomic System Using Vortex Beam

Zhenzhu Li

We consider the optical rotation of the polarization of a linearly polarized probe field passing through an M-type atomic system by using the interaction between two vortex control fields and optical transitions. We investigate theoretically to generate the spatially dependent structured light with the atoms acting as a spatially varying circular birefringent medium. We show that the polarization and intensity distributions of the vector beam spatially vary by changing the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of the vortex control field.

Journal of Applied Mathematics and Physics•Jan 1, 2022•0 citations

On the importance of the longitudinal component of paraxial optical vortices in the interaction with atoms

G. F. Quinteiro

Experimental evidence and theory on the head-on excitation of atoms by paraxial Laguerre–Gaussian beams revealed that the longitudinal component of the field has to be taken into account. Optical vortices are in fact a large family of fields, Laguerre–Gaussian being only one particular case. Here, we extend the previous study to a broader set of vortex fields. We demonstrate that, in general, paraxial optical vortices that have opposite orbital and spin angular momenta exhibit a longitudinal component that cannot be disregarded in the light–matter interaction.

Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Feb 8, 2023•6 citations

Atoms in complex twisted light

M. Babiker, Davıd L. Andrews, V. E. Lembessis

The physics of optical vortices, also known as twisted light, is now a well-established and a growing branch of optical physics with a number of important applications and significant interdisciplinary connections.Optical vortex fields of widely varying forms and degrees of complexity can be realised in the laboratory by a host of different means.The interference between such beams with designated orbital angular momenta and optical spins (the latter is associated with wave polarisations) can be structured to conform to various geometrical arrangements.The focus of this review is on how such tailored forms of light can exert a controllable influence on atoms with which they interact.The main physical effects involve atoms in motion due to application of optical forces.The now mature area of atom optics has had notable successes both of fundamental nature and in applications such as atom lasers, atom guides and Bose-Einstein condensates.The concepts in atom optics encompass not only atomic beams interacting with light, but atomic motion in general as influenced by optical and other fields.Our primary concern in this review is on atoms in structured light where, in particular, the twisted nature of the light is made highly complex with additional features due to wave polarisation.These features bring to the fore a variety of physical phenomena not realisable in the context of atomic motion in more conventional forms of laser light.Atoms near resonance with such structured light fields become subject to electromagnetic fields with complex polarisation and phase distributions, as well as intricately structured intensity gradients and radiative forces.From the combined effect of optical spin and orbital angular momenta, atoms may also experience forces and torques involving an interplay between the internal and centre of mass degrees of freedom.Such interactions lead to new forms of processes including scattering, trapping and rotation and, as a result, they exhibit characteristic new features at the micro-scale and below.A number of distinctive properties involving angular momentum exchange between the light and the atoms are highlighted, and prospective applications are discussed.Comparison is made between the theoretical predictions in this area and the corresponding experiments that have been reported to date.

Journal of Optics•Oct 31, 2018•152 citations

Multiplexed vortex beam-based optical tweezers

Francisco Misael Muñoz Pérez, Ferrando, Vicente, Walter D. Furlan +3 more

The design and implementation of a multiplexed spiral phase mask in an experimental optical tweezer setup are presented. This diffractive optical element allows the generation of multiple concentric vortex beams with independent topological charges. The generalization of the phase mask for multiple concentric vortices is also shown. The design for a phase mask of two multiplexed vortices with different topological charges is developed. We experimentally show the transfer of angular momentum to the optically trapped microparticles by enabling orbiting dynamics around the optical axis independently within each vortex. The angular velocity of the confined particles versus the optical power in the focal region is also discussed for different combinations of topological charges.

arXiv:2302.07338•Feb 14, 2023•0 citations
We developed a theoretical formalism for the generation of optical vortices by phased arrays of atoms. Using the Jacobi–Anger expansion, we demonstrated the resulting field topology and determined the least number of individual atoms necessary for the generation of vortices with a given topological charge. Vector vortices were considered, taking into account both the spin and orbital angular momenta of electromagnetic fields. It was found for the vortex field that, in the far field limit, the spatial variation in spin-density matrix parameters—orientation and alignment—is independent of the distance to the radiation source.
We investigate the propagation of an optical vector vortex weakly interacting with a coherently prepared atomic medium (phaseonium) in a three-level ΛΛΛ configuration. The vector beam consists of vortex pulse pairs with right- and left-circular polarizations, corresponding to opposite spin angular momentum (SAM), and carrying opposite orbital angular momentum (OAM) charges ±l\pm l±l. We show that during the propagation of the vortex pairs, analytically obtained in the linear regime, the medium inherits the topology of the vortex pair, mapping the OAM onto a spatially structured atomic coherence. This mapping produces 2∣l∣−2|l|-2∣l∣−fold azimuthal transparency structures that reshape the beam intensity from a ring into a petal-like pattern. The OAM-structured atomic coherence induces a corresponding optical anisotropy within the medium, which feeds back into the propagating vector beam, resulting in optical spin-orbit coupling manifested as SAM exchange, rotation, and evolution of polarization textures. Depending on the initial ground-state population of the phaseonium, the polarization state evolves between left-circular, linear, and right-circular polarizations.
In this paper we present a gauge-invariant formalism for describing the spin and orbital angular momenta of scalar and vector optical vortices. The correction term, arising from consistent incorporation of the transverse vector potential's nonlocality, restores gauge invariance and makes it possible to separate the total angular momentum into spin and orbital components. We propose a method for calculating the orbital and spin angular momenta of multimode vector vortex fields and show that the orbital angular momentum of such beams contains two qualitatively different components. The polarization-independent contribution to the orbital angular momentum is related to the topological charge that determines the order of the phase singularity, while the polarization-dependent one is proportional to the helical topological charge that determines the spatial inhomogeneity of the polarization. We also discuss the quantization procedure for fields with spatially inhomogeneous polarization in terms of modes with a helical topological charge, and examine the limits of applicability of the proposed formalism.
We consider the optical rotation of the polarization of a linearly polarized probe field passing through an M-type atomic system by using the interaction between two vortex control fields and optical transitions. We investigate theoretically to generate the spatially dependent structured light with the atoms acting as a spatially varying circular birefringent medium. We show that the polarization and intensity distributions of the vector beam spatially vary by changing the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of the vortex control field.
Experimental evidence and theory on the head-on excitation of atoms by paraxial Laguerre–Gaussian beams revealed that the longitudinal component of the field has to be taken into account. Optical vortices are in fact a large family of fields, Laguerre–Gaussian being only one particular case. Here, we extend the previous study to a broader set of vortex fields. We demonstrate that, in general, paraxial optical vortices that have opposite orbital and spin angular momenta exhibit a longitudinal component that cannot be disregarded in the light–matter interaction.
The physics of optical vortices, also known as twisted light, is now a well-established and a growing branch of optical physics with a number of important applications and significant interdisciplinary connections.Optical vortex fields of widely varying forms and degrees of complexity can be realised in the laboratory by a host of different means.The interference between such beams with designated orbital angular momenta and optical spins (the latter is associated with wave polarisations) can be structured to conform to various geometrical arrangements.The focus of this review is on how such tailored forms of light can exert a controllable influence on atoms with which they interact.The main physical effects involve atoms in motion due to application of optical forces.The now mature area of atom optics has had notable successes both of fundamental nature and in applications such as atom lasers, atom guides and Bose-Einstein condensates.The concepts in atom optics encompass not only atomic beams interacting with light, but atomic motion in general as influenced by optical and other fields.Our primary concern in this review is on atoms in structured light where, in particular, the twisted nature of the light is made highly complex with additional features due to wave polarisation.These features bring to the fore a variety of physical phenomena not realisable in the context of atomic motion in more conventional forms of laser light.Atoms near resonance with such structured light fields become subject to electromagnetic fields with complex polarisation and phase distributions, as well as intricately structured intensity gradients and radiative forces.From the combined effect of optical spin and orbital angular momenta, atoms may also experience forces and torques involving an interplay between the internal and centre of mass degrees of freedom.Such interactions lead to new forms of processes including scattering, trapping and rotation and, as a result, they exhibit characteristic new features at the micro-scale and below.A number of distinctive properties involving angular momentum exchange between the light and the atoms are highlighted, and prospective applications are discussed.Comparison is made between the theoretical predictions in this area and the corresponding experiments that have been reported to date.
The design and implementation of a multiplexed spiral phase mask in an experimental optical tweezer setup are presented. This diffractive optical element allows the generation of multiple concentric vortex beams with independent topological charges. The generalization of the phase mask for multiple concentric vortices is also shown. The design for a phase mask of two multiplexed vortices with different topological charges is developed. We experimentally show the transfer of angular momentum to the optically trapped microparticles by enabling orbiting dynamics around the optical axis independently within each vortex. The angular velocity of the confined particles versus the optical power in the focal region is also discussed for different combinations of topological charges.