Abstract
Vortex laser beams are a technology that has revolutionised applications in micro-and nano-manipulation, micro-fabrication and super-resolution microscopy, and is now heralding advances in quantum communication. In order to service these, and emergent applications, the ability to generate powerful vortex laser beams with user-controlled spatial and wavefront properties, and importantly wavelength, is required. In this chapter, we discuss methods of generating vortex laser beams using both external beam conversion methods, and directly from a laser resonator. We then examine the wavelength conversion of vortex laser beams through non-linear processes of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS), sum-frequency generation (SFG), second harmonic generation (SHG) and optical parametric oscillation. We reveal that under different types of non-linear wavelength conversion, the spatial and wavefront properties of the vortex modes change, and in some cases, the spatial profile also evolve under propagation. We present a theoretical model which explains these dynamics, through decomposition of the vortex mode into constituent Hermite-Gaussian modes of the laser resonator.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Vortex dynamics and optical vortices |
Editors | Hector Perez-De-Tejada |
Place of Publication | London |
Publisher | InTechOpen |
Chapter | 2 |
Pages | 57-82 |
Number of pages | 26 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9789535129301 |
ISBN (Print) | 9789535129295 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Copyright the Author(s) 2017. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.Keywords
- vortex laser
- Lagurre-Gaussian modes
- optical non-linear conversion
- stimulated Raman scattering
- sum-frequency generation
- second harmonic generation
- optical parametric oscillation
- topological charge