Generating polymorphic and solenoid beams with an amplitude-type spatial light modulator

Abstract

Helix-shaped polymorphic beams and solenoid ones are non-diffracting beams generated by the superposition of Bessel beams of specific orders. Their fields rotate around the beam propagation axis and have promising applications in optical forces, where they can be designed to function as either tractor or repulsor beams. Traditionally, phase-only spatial light modulators (SLMs) based on liquid crystal technology have been used for their generation. However, such SLMs have several limitations. They operate within a limited wavelength range, have lower refresh rates (typically 60 Hz, with a maximum of a few hundred Hz), and require linearly polarized light. There is, therefore, a need for an af..