Orbital angular momentum of light and the transformation of Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes
Abstract
Laser light with a Laguerre-Gaussian amplitude distribution is found to have a well-defined orbital angular momentum. An astigmatic optical system may be used to transform a high-order Laguerre-Gaussian mode into a high-order Hermite-Gaussian mode reversibly. An experiment is proposed to measure the mechanical torque induced by the transfer of orbital angular momentum associated with such a transformation.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review A
- Pub Date:
- June 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevA.45.8185
- Bibcode:
- 1992PhRvA..45.8185A
- Keywords:
-
- 42.50.Vk;
- Mechanical effects of light on atoms molecules electrons and ions