Free-space propagation of spatio-temporal optical vortices (STOVs)
Abstract
Spatio-temporal optical vortices (STOVs) are a new type of optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) with optical phase circulation in space-time. In prior work [N. Jhajj et al., Phys. Rev X 6, 031037 (2016)], we demonstrated that a STOV is a universal structure emerging from the arrest of self-focusing collapse leading to nonlinear self-guiding in material media. Here, we demonstrate linear generation and propagation in free space of STOV-carrying pulses. Our measurements and simulations demonstrate STOV mediation of space-time energy flow within the pulse and conservation of OAM in space-time. Single-shot amplitude and phase images of STOVs are taken using a new diagnostic, transient grating single-shot supercontinuum spectral interferometry (TG-SSSI).
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1909.11079,
title = {Free-space propagation of spatio-temporal optical vortices (STOVs)},
author = {S. W. Hancock and S. Zahedpour and A. Goffin and H. M. Milchberg},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1909.11079},
year = {2020}
}