A flat optical device that generates optical vortices with a variety of topological charges is demonstrated. This device spatially modulates light beams over a distance much smaller than the wavelength in the direction of propagation by means of an array of V-shaped plasmonic antennas with sub-wavelength separation. Optical vortices are shown to develop after a sub-wavelength propagation distance from the array, a feature that has major potential implications for integrated optics.

1.
M.
Born
and
E.
Wolf
,
Principles of Optics
, 7th ed. (
Cambridge University Press
,
Cambridge
,
1999
).
2.
J. E.
Curtis
,
B. A.
Koss
, and
D. G.
Grier
,
Opt. Commun.
207
,
169
(
2002
).
3.
M.
Padgett
and
R.
Bowman
,
Nat. Photonics
5
,
343
(
2011
).
4.
N.
Yu
,
P.
Genevet
,
M. A.
Kats
,
F.
Aieta
,
J. P.
Tetienne
,
F.
Capasso
,
Z.
Gaburro
,
Science
334
,
333
(
2011
).
5.
J. F.
Nye
and
M. V.
Berry
,
Proc. R. Soc. London A
336
,
165
(
1974
).
6.
M.
Padgett
,
J.
Courtial
, and
L.
Allen
,
Phys. Today
57
(5),
35
(
2004
).
7.
L.
Allen
,
M. W.
Beijersbergen
,
R. J. C.
Spreeuw
, and
J. P.
Woerdman
,
Phys. Rev. A
45
,
8185
(
1992
).
8.
M. W.
Beijersbergen
,
R. P. C.
Coerwinkel
,
M.
Kristensen
, and
J. P.
Woerdman
,
Opt. Commun.
112
,
321
(
1994
).
9.
N. R.
Heckenberg
,
R.
McDuff
,
C. P.
Smith
, and
A. G.
White
,
Opt. Lett.
17
,
221
(
1992
).
10.
V.
Yu
,
M. V.
Vasnetsov
, and
M. S.
Soskin
,
JETP Lett.
52
,
429
(
1990
).
11.
A. G.
White
,
C. P.
Smith
,
N. R.
Heckenberg
,
H.
Rubinsztein-Dunlop
,
R.
McDuff
,
C. O.
Weiss
, and
C.
Tamm
,
J. Mod. Opt.
38
,
2531
(
1991
).
12.
M.
Berry
,
J.
Nye
, and
F.
Wright
,
Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London
291
,
453
(
1979
).
13.
P.
Coullet
,
L.
Gil
, and
F.
Rocca
,
Opt. Commun.
73
,
403
(
1989
).
14.
P.
Genevet
,
S.
Barland
,
M.
Giudici
, and
J. R.
Tredicce
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
104
,
223902
(
2010
).
16.
J.
Leach
,
M. J.
Padgett
,
S. M.
Barnett
,
S.
Franke-Arnold
, and
J.
Courtial
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
88
,
257901
(
2002
).
17.
G.
Gibson
,
J.
Courtial
,
M.
Padgett
,
M.
Vasnetsov
,
V.
Pas’ko
,
S.
Barnett
, and
S.
Franke-Arnold
,
Opt. Express
12
,
5448
(
2004
).
18.
A. E.
Siegman
,
Lasers
(
University Science Books
,
Sausalito, CA
,
1986
), Chap. 16.
19.
K. F.
MacDonald
,
Z. L.
Samson
,
M. I.
Stockman
, and
N. I.
Zheludev
,
Nat. Photonics
3
,
2
(
2009
).
20.
X.
Wang
,
A. A.
Belyanin
,
S. A.
Crooker
,
D. M.
Mittleman
, and
J.
Kono
,
Nat. Phys.
6
,
126
(
2010
).
You do not currently have access to this content.