Higher order Pancharatnam-Berry phase and the angular momentum of light

The first experimental demonstration of a new Pancharatnam-Berry phase for light beams with spatially inhomogeneous, or vector, states of polarization referred to as the higher-order Pancharatnam-Berry phase is presented. This new geometric phase is proportional to light's total angular momentu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2012-05, Vol.108 (19), p.190401-190401, Article 190401
Main Authors: Milione, Giovanni, Evans, S, Nolan, D A, Alfano, R R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:The first experimental demonstration of a new Pancharatnam-Berry phase for light beams with spatially inhomogeneous, or vector, states of polarization referred to as the higher-order Pancharatnam-Berry phase is presented. This new geometric phase is proportional to light's total angular momentum, a sum of spin and higher dimensional orbital angular momentum, sharply contrasting the well-known Pancharatnam-Berry phase associated with the plane wave state of polarization of a spatially homogeneous light beam. The higher-order Pancharatnam-Berry phase is directly related to the rotational symmetry of a vortex-bearing electromagnetic field, associated with the rotational frequency shift of a light beam, and has implications in quantum information science as well as other physical systems such as electron vortex beams.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.108.190401