Annual Meeting Optical Society of America

Berry’s topological phases in optical interferometry

Howard Nathel, R. Y. Chiao, Aram Antaramian, Ken M. Ganga, Hong Jiao, S. R. Wilkinson, J. C. Garrison

Published Jan 1, 1988• 0 citations

Abstract

We study two types of topological phases, i.e., Aharonov-Bohm phases, by means of optical interferometry. The first arises from a cycle of redirections of the photon spin and is closely related to the Aharonov-Anandan phase. The second arises from a cycle of polarization changes on the Poincare sphere and was discovered by Pancharatnam. Both of these phases, and their combined effects, have been investigated by a nonplanar Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The signs of the fringe shifts arising from these topological effects have been determined and agree with theory.

DOI: 10.1364/oam.1988.mx5

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