Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams

In this paper, we simulate the focusing of a cylindrical vector beam (CVB) of second order, using the Richards–Wolf formula. Many papers have been published on focusing CVB, but they did not report on forming of the toroidal vortices of energy (TVE) near the focus. TVE are fluxes of light energy in...

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Main Authors: Sergey S. Stafeev, Elena S. Kozlova, Victor V. Kotlyar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Photonics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/8/8/301
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author Sergey S. Stafeev
Elena S. Kozlova
Victor V. Kotlyar
author_facet Sergey S. Stafeev
Elena S. Kozlova
Victor V. Kotlyar
author_sort Sergey S. Stafeev
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, we simulate the focusing of a cylindrical vector beam (CVB) of second order, using the Richards–Wolf formula. Many papers have been published on focusing CVB, but they did not report on forming of the toroidal vortices of energy (TVE) near the focus. TVE are fluxes of light energy in longitudinal planes along closed paths around some critical points at which the flux of energy is zero. In the 3D case, such longitudinal energy fluxes form a toroidal surface, and the critical points around which the energy rotates form a circle lying in the transverse plane. TVE are formed in pairs with different directions of rotation (similar to optical vortices with topological charges of different signs). We show that when light with a wavelength of 532 nm is focused by a lens with numerical aperture NA = 0.95, toroidal vortices periodically appear at a distance of about 0.45 μm (0.85 λ) from the axis (with a period along the <i>z</i>-axis of 0.8 μm (1.5 λ)). The vortices arise in pairs: the vortex nearest to the focal plane is twisted clockwise, and the next vortex is twisted counterclockwise. These vortices are accompanied by saddle points. At higher distances from the <i>z</i>-axis, this pattern of toroidal vortices is repeated, and at a distance of about 0.7 μm (1.3 λ), a region in which toroidal vortices are repeated along the <i>z</i>-axis is observed. When the beam is focused and limited by a narrow annular aperture, these toroidal vortices are not observed.
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spelling doaj.art-74395493b2774a9c8d7f9517b9f730082023-11-22T09:16:16ZengMDPI AGPhotonics2304-67322021-07-018830110.3390/photonics8080301Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector BeamsSergey S. Stafeev0Elena S. Kozlova1Victor V. Kotlyar2IPSI RAS—Branch of the FSRC “Crystallography and Photonics” RAS, 443001 Samara, RussiaIPSI RAS—Branch of the FSRC “Crystallography and Photonics” RAS, 443001 Samara, RussiaIPSI RAS—Branch of the FSRC “Crystallography and Photonics” RAS, 443001 Samara, RussiaIn this paper, we simulate the focusing of a cylindrical vector beam (CVB) of second order, using the Richards–Wolf formula. Many papers have been published on focusing CVB, but they did not report on forming of the toroidal vortices of energy (TVE) near the focus. TVE are fluxes of light energy in longitudinal planes along closed paths around some critical points at which the flux of energy is zero. In the 3D case, such longitudinal energy fluxes form a toroidal surface, and the critical points around which the energy rotates form a circle lying in the transverse plane. TVE are formed in pairs with different directions of rotation (similar to optical vortices with topological charges of different signs). We show that when light with a wavelength of 532 nm is focused by a lens with numerical aperture NA = 0.95, toroidal vortices periodically appear at a distance of about 0.45 μm (0.85 λ) from the axis (with a period along the <i>z</i>-axis of 0.8 μm (1.5 λ)). The vortices arise in pairs: the vortex nearest to the focal plane is twisted clockwise, and the next vortex is twisted counterclockwise. These vortices are accompanied by saddle points. At higher distances from the <i>z</i>-axis, this pattern of toroidal vortices is repeated, and at a distance of about 0.7 μm (1.3 λ), a region in which toroidal vortices are repeated along the <i>z</i>-axis is observed. When the beam is focused and limited by a narrow annular aperture, these toroidal vortices are not observed.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/8/8/301tight focusingRichards–Wolf formulacylindrical vector beamenergy backflowtoroidal vorticesV-points
spellingShingle Sergey S. Stafeev
Elena S. Kozlova
Victor V. Kotlyar
Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams
Photonics
tight focusing
Richards–Wolf formula
cylindrical vector beam
energy backflow
toroidal vortices
V-points
title Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams
title_full Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams
title_fullStr Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams
title_full_unstemmed Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams
title_short Toroidal Vortices of Energy in Tightly Focused Second-Order Cylindrical Vector Beams
title_sort toroidal vortices of energy in tightly focused second order cylindrical vector beams
topic tight focusing
Richards–Wolf formula
cylindrical vector beam
energy backflow
toroidal vortices
V-points
url https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/8/8/301
work_keys_str_mv AT sergeysstafeev toroidalvorticesofenergyintightlyfocusedsecondordercylindricalvectorbeams
AT elenaskozlova toroidalvorticesofenergyintightlyfocusedsecondordercylindricalvectorbeams
AT victorvkotlyar toroidalvorticesofenergyintightlyfocusedsecondordercylindricalvectorbeams