Controlled negative energy flow in the focus of a radial polarized optical beam

Shaping focal field by grafted polarization

In this paper, we propose a novel (to our knowledge) vector beam by combining the radially polarized beams with the different polarization orders, which is called the grafted polarization vector beam (GPVB). Compared with the tight focusing of traditional cylindrical vector beams, GPVB can present more flexible focal field patterns by adjusting the polarization order of two (or more) grafted parts. Moreover, because the GPVB possesses the non-axisymmetrical polarization state distribution, which will lead to the spin-orbit coupling in its tight focusing, it can obtain the spatial separation of spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the focal plane. The SAM and the OAM are well modulated by adjusting the polarization order of two (or more) grafted parts. Furthermore, we also find the on-axis energy flow in the tight focusing of the GPVB can be changed from positive to negative by adjusting its polarization order. Our results provide more modulation freedom and potential applications in optical tweezers and particles trapping.

Whispering-gallery modes promote enhanced optical backflow in a perforated dielectric microsphere

Optical energy flow inside a dielectric microsphere is usually co-directed with the optical wave vector. At the same time, if the optical field in a microsphere is in resonance with one of the high-quality spatial eigenmodes (whispering-gallery modes- WGMs), a region of reverse energy flow emerges in the shadow hemisphere. This area is of considerable practical interest due to increased optical trapping potential. In this Letter, we consider a perforated microsphere with an air-filled pinhole fabricated along the particle diameter and numerically analyze the peculiarities of WGM excitation in a nanostructured microsphere. A pinhole isolates the energy backflow region of a resonant mode and changes a perforated microsphere into an efficient optical tweezer. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, a multiple enhancement of the energy backflow intensity in the pinhole at a WGM resonance is revealed and we discuss the ways for its manipulation.

Circular Polarization near the Tight Focus of Linearly Polarized Light

We have considered the tight focusing of light with linear polarization. Using the Richards–Wolf formalism, it is shown that before and after the focal plane, there are regions in which the polarization is circular (elliptical). When passing through the focal plane, the direction of rotation of the polarization vector is reversed. If before the focus in a certain area there was a left circular polarization, then directly in the focus in this area there will be a linear polarization, and after the focus in a similar area there will be a right circular polarization. This effect allows linearly polarized light to be used to rotate dielectric microparticles with little absorption around their center of mass.

Tailoring of Inverse Energy Flow Profiles with Vector Lissajous Beams

In recent years, structured laser beams for shaping inverse energy flow regions: regions with a direction of energy flow opposite to the propagation direction of a laser beam, have been actively studied. Unfortunately, many structured laser beams generate inverse energy flow regions with dimensions of the order of the wavelength. Moreover, there are significant limitations to the location of these regions. Here, we investigate the possibility of controlling inverse energy flow distributions by using the generalization of well-known cylindrical vector beams with special polarization symmetry—vector Lissajous beams (VLBs)—defined by two polarization orders (p, q). We derive the conditions for the indices (p, q) in order, not only to shape separate isolated regions with a reverse energy flow, but also regions that are infinitely extended along a certain direction in the focal plane. In addition, we show that the maximum intensity curves of the studied VLBs are useful for predicting the properties of focused beams.

Subwavelength generation of orientation-unlimited energy flow in 4π microscopy

Manipulation of light energy flow within the tight focus not only is important to the fundamental study of light-matter interactions but also underpins significant practical applications. However, the coupling between the electric and the magnetic fields of a focused light beam sets a fundamental barrier for independent control of these field components, restricting the focal energy flow primarily in the axial direction. In this paper, a 4π microscopic configuration is theoretically proposed to untangle the tight relation between the electric field and the magnetic field in a subwavelength-scale focal voxel. By independently altering the amplitudes of different field components in the focal region, energy flow with three-dimensionally unlimited orientation and ultra-high orientation purity (more than 90%) can be generated. This result expands the flexibility of energy flow manipulations and holds great potential in nanophotonics such as light scattering and optical force at subwavelength dimensions.

Spin-orbit Hall effect in the tight focusing of a radially polarized vortex beam

When the first-order radially polarized vortex beam propagates in an uniaxial crystal, the spin and the orbital angular momentum parts can be separated. It is called the optical spin-orbit Hall effect. In this study, we investigate the tight focusing of the radially polarized vortex beam theoretically and find the spatial separation of the spin and the orbital angular momentum parts occurs in the focal plane when the polarization order equals 1 and the vortex charge equals 1 (or -1). Moreover, when the initial phase of the polarization state takes π/2, the spatial separation of intensity in the focal plane corresponds to the spatial separation of the spin and the orbital angular momentum parts. This phenomenon can be considered as a manifestation of the optical spin-orbit Hall effect in the tight focusing of radially polarized vortex beam. Also, we show that, when the polarization order is greater than 1, the initial phase change of polarization state just leads to the rotation of the focal field and the spin and the orbital angular momentum density in the focal plane. Our results provide the potential application in the field of optical micro-manipulation.