Speaker
Ms
Bereneice Sephton
(CSIR National Laser Centre; Wits Physics Department)
Description
Orbital angular momentum (OAM) carrying beams are ubiquitous in many experiments being performed today and cover a wide range of research, from surface micro-structure processing to optical tweezers and communications. It follows that these beams are a significant factor in the outcome of these research areas. Characterization of OAM beams lies in the ability to identify the OAM being carried. One such prominent method recently developed in 2010 by Berkhout et al. [1] is known as mode sorting whereby a geometric transformation is optically carried out on the beam. This converts OAM into transverse momentum, causing the beam to ‘unravel’ and allowing for the formation of spots with OAM-dependent positions through the Fourier transformation of a lens. We evaluate how the mode sorter achieves this transformation. Additionally, we experimentally demonstrate how the mode sorter works and explore the power and limitations of this method.
[1] Berkhout et. al. 2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 153601
Level for award<br> (Hons, MSc, <br> PhD, N/A)?
MSc
Main supervisor (name and email)<br>and his / her institution
Professor Andrew Forbes
andrew.forbes@wits.ac.za
University of Witwatersrand
Apply to be<br> considered for a student <br> award (Yes / No)?
Yes
Would you like to <br> submit a short paper <br> for the Conference <br> Proceedings (Yes / No)?
No
Primary author
Ms
Bereneice Sephton
(CSIR National Laser Centre; Wits Physics Department)
Co-authors
Prof.
Andrew Forbes
(University of Witwatersrand; CSIR)
Dr
Angela Dudley
(CSIR National Laser Centre)
