Lensless Wavefront Parallel Processing of Vector Beams by Self‐Images of a Self‐Organized Q‐Plates Microarray

• Published in: Advanced photonics research 2022-08, Vol.3 (8), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Yuji, Yamazaki, Kenji, Murakami, Naoshi, Yamane, Keisaku, Orihara, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Defects; Electric fields; Light; liquid crystals; Microscopy; optical vortices; self-imaging; self-organization; vector beams
• ISSN: 2699-9293; 2699-9293
• DOI: 10.1002/adpr.202100368

Wavefront shaping of structured light beams is attracting considerable attention in optics and related technologies. Due to the potential benefits, it is crucial to develop versatile methods for controlling the wavefront in a compact space with the capacity for high‐throughput parallel processing. Herein, a unique concept is introduced for converting the wavefront of multiple structured light beams, which are periodically packed in a microscopic area. An experimental demonstration is provided by using transmissive planar optical elements consisting of a microarray of geometric phase based on nematic liquid crystals. The periodic microstructure is fabricated by the directed self‐organization of topological defects present in a nanoscale relief obtained by area‐selective surface modification. The conversion of multiple wavefronts is realized by using the Talbot self‐imaging effect of the microarray. The integrated geometric phase microarray has potential applications in vortex beam emitters to harness structured light, such as for optical manipulation and lithography. A high‐throughput method for shaping the wavefront of multiple vector beams in a compact space is proposed using microarrays of q‐plates, which are fabricated through a directed self‐organization of topological defects in nematic liquid crystals under a nanoscale surface relief. The periodic microstructure produces the Talbot self‐image, which enables the wavefront parallel processing without using bulky and costly devices.