Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: As the size of an optical vortex knot, imprinted in a coherent light beam, is decreased, nonparaxial effects alter the structure of the knotted optical singularity. For knot structures approaching the scale of wavelength, longitudinal polarization effects become non-negligible, and the electric and magnetic fields differ, leading to intertwined knotted nodal structures in the transverse and longitudinal polarization components, which we call a knot bundle of polarization singularities. We analyze their structure using polynomial beam approximations and numerical diffraction theory. The analysis reveals features of spin-orbit effects and polarization topology in tightly focused geometry, and we propose an experiment to measure this phenomenon.
Authors: Danica Sugic, Mark R. Dennis
Institution: University of Bristol
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: Leverhulme Trust, University of Bristol
Award: G8001719865
OpenAlex ID: W2883056989