Study on the properties of vector beams generated by a curved wave plate in the strong-focusing regime

Abstract

We propose a new scheme to generate the axisymmetric vector beam. A curved wave plate, designed by using the birefringence properties of a crystal, can generate two different phase distributions with respect to the o-light and e-light, and it then can transform the linearly polarized light into the radial or azimuthal vector beam with the property of rotational symmetry. The above scheme has the advantage of having a simple light path and can be adjusted conveniently. According to Richards-Wolf's model of the classical vector diffraction, we calculate the distributions of the diffracted electromagnetic field that is illuminated by a hollow Gaussian beam and focused by a lens with high numerical aperture. Results show that the hollow vector beam has a very high intensity and intensity gradient and longitudinal distribution of the electric or magnetic field even if illuminated by the laser with a power of 0.5 W. In addition, real-time adjusted distributions of the photon angular momentum can be generated. This scheme has good application prospects in the manipulations of the microscopic particles.