Work

Precision measurement theory of integer and fractional orbital angular momentum based on photonic spin Hall effect

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Fractional vortex beams carrying fractional orbital angular momentum (OAM) serve as an indispensable part of integer vortex beams. Owing to their unique physical properties, these beams hold extensive potential for applications in optical communication and quantum information processing. However, the precise detection of the fractional OAM of the fractional vortex beam remains a significant and challenging issue due to the broken orthogonality of the OAM. Here we propose a straightforward yet highly effective method for the accurate measurement of integer and fractional OAM, based on the photonic spin Hall effect (SHE). It is found that the spin-dependent shift of the photonic SHE exhibits an increasing trend with the augmentation of the fractional topological charge (TC) for TC . When combined with weak measurement techniques, the results demonstrate that the amplified photonic SHE is nearly linearly correlated with the fractional TC. Consequently, we can accurately measure both positive and negative integer as well as fractional TC by utilizing the photonic SHE as a measurement pointer. These theoretical studies expand the practical applications of photonic SHE, and provide a reliable method for precision detection of fractional OAM.

Source: Results in Physics

DOI: 10.1016/j.rinp.2025.108477

Authors: Xiang Zhou, Jialong Tu, Qianqian Zhu, Xincan Qiu, Dongmei Deng

Institutions: Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Hunan First Normal University, South China Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Orbital Angular Momentum in Optics

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,920

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Scientific Research Foundation of Hunan Provincial Education Department