Generation of continuously rotating polarization by combining cross-polarizations and its application in surface structuring

Abstract

In this study, we develop a simple but highly effective technique that generates a continuously varying polarization within a laser beam. This is achieved by having orthogonal linear polarizations on each side of the beam. By simply focusing such a laser beam, we can attain a gradually and continuously changing polarization within the entire Rayleigh range due to diffraction. To demonstrate this polarization distribution, we apply this laser beam onto a metal surface and create a continuously rotating laser induced periodic surface structure pattern. This technique provides a very effective way to produce complex surface structures that may potentially find applications, such as polarization modulators and metasurfaces.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

Continuous modulations of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures and scanned line-widths on silicon by polarization changes

Weina Han, Lan Jiang, Xiaowei Li, Pengjun Liu, Le Xu, and YongFeng Lu
Opt. Express 21(13) 15505-15513 (2013)

Giant cross polarization in a nanoimprinted metamaterial combining a fishnet with its Babinet complement

Lin Dong, Michael J. Haslinger, Jürgen Danzberger, Iris Bergmair, Kurt Hingerl, Calin Hrelescu, and Thomas A. Klar
Opt. Express 23(15) 19034-19046 (2015)

Tailored optical vector fields for ultrashort-pulse laser induced complex surface plasmon structuring

J. Ouyang, W. Perrie, O. J. Allegre, T. Heil, Y. Jin, E. Fearon, D. Eckford, S. P. Edwardson, and G. Dearden
Opt. Express 23(10) 12562-12572 (2015)

Effect of polarization state on electro-optic coupling and its application to polarization rotation

Guoliang Zheng, Jie Xu, Hongcheng Wang, Lixiang Chen, and Weilong She
Appl. Opt. 45(34) 8648-8652 (2006)

Evanescent Bessel beam generation via surface plasmon resonance excitation by a radially polarized beam

Qiwen Zhan
Opt. Lett. 31(11) 1726-1728 (2006)