Simple method for generating special beams using polarization holography

Abstract

Vector vortex beams are a kind of special beam that simultaneously carry spin and orbital angular momentum. The generation of vector vortex beams usually requires a complex and expensive optical system, which becomes a bottleneck hindering its further application. Thus, a compact, low-cost and efficient special beam generation system is demanded. In this paper, a method that can produce vector vortex beams distributed anywhere in the equator of hybrid-order Poincaré Spheres based on polarization holography is proposed. Via changing some parameters of the device, this method can also produce the scalar vortex beams distributed at any position of the basic Poincaré Sphere and the vector beams distributed at the equator of the higher-order Poincaré Spheres. The work shows that polarization holography has the potential ability to regulate the spin and orbital angular momentum simultaneously, opening a new window for future research and applications of angular momentum space orientation.