The first comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the angular momentum of light, illustrating both its theoretical and applied aspects.

This book deals with applications in several areas of science and technology that make use of light which carries orbital angular momentum. In most practical scenarios, the angular momentum can be decomposed into two independent contributions: the spin angular momentum and the orbital angular momentum. The orbital contribution affords a fundamentally new degree of freedom, with fascinating and wide-spread applications. Unlike spin angular momentum, which is associated with the polarization of light, the orbital angular momentum arises as a consequence of the spatial distribution of the intensity and phase of an optical field, even down to the single photon limit. Researchers have begun to appreciate its implications for our understanding of the ways in which light and matter can interact, and its practical potential in different areas of science and technology.

Orbital Angular Momentum States of Light provides an in-depth introduction to modelling of long-range propagation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes as well as more general structured light beams through atmospheric turbulence. Starting with angular spectrum method for diffraction and description of structured light states, the book discusses the technical details related to wave propagation through atmospheric turbulence. The review of historical as well as more recent ideas in this topical area, along with computer simulation codes, makes this book a useful reference to researchers and optical engineers interested in developing and testing of free-space applications of OAM states of light. Part of IOP Series in Advances in Optics, Photonics and Optoelectronics.

Spin angular momentum of photons and the associated polarization of light has been known for many years. However, it is only over the last decade or so that physically realizable laboratory light beams have been used to study the orbital angular momentum of light. In many respects, orbital and spin angular momentum behave in a similar manner, but t

Light and light based technologies have played an important role in transforming our lives via scientific contributions spanned over thousands of years. In this book we present a vast collection of articles on various aspects of light and its applications in the contemporary world at a popular or semi-popular level. These articles are written by the world authorities in their respective fields. This is therefore a rare volume where the world experts have come together to present the developments in this most important field of science in an almost pedagogical manner. This volume covers five aspects related to light. The first presents two articles, one on the history of the nature of light, and the other on the scientific achievements of Ibn-Haitham (Alhazen), who is broadly considered the father of modern optics. These are then followed by an article on ultrafast phenomena and the invisible world. The third part includes papers on specific sources of light, the discoveries of which have revolutionized optical technologies in our lifetime. They discuss the nature and the characteristics of lasers, Solid-state lighting based on the Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, and finally modern electron optics and its relationship to the Muslim golden age in science. The book’s fourth part discusses various applications of optics and light in today's world, including biophotonics, art, optical communication, nanotechnology, the eye as an optical instrument, remote sensing, and optics in medicine. In turn, the last part focuses on quantum optics, a modern field that grew out of the interaction of light and matter. Topics addressed include atom optics, slow, stored and stationary light, optical tests of the foundation of physics, quantum mechanical properties of light fields carrying orbital angular momentum, quantum communication, and Wave-Particle dualism in action.

Discover the most recent advances in electromagnetic vortices In Electromagnetic Vortices: Wave Phenomena and Engineering Applications, a team of distinguished researchers delivers a cutting-edge treatment of electromagnetic vortex waves, including their theoretical foundation, related wave properties, and several potentially transformative applications. The book is divided into three parts. The editors first include resources that describe the generation, sorting, and manipulation of vortex waves, as well as descriptions of interesting wave behavior in the infrared and optical regimes with custom-designed nanostructures. They then discuss the generation, multiplexing, and propagation of vortex waves at the microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. Finally, the selected contributions discuss several representative practical applications of vortex waves from a system perspective. With coverage that incorporates demonstration examples from a wide range of related sub-areas, this essential edited volume also offers: Thorough introductions to the generation of optical vortex beams and transformation optical vortex wave synthesizers Comprehensive explorations of millimeter-wave metasurfaces for high-capacity and broadband generation of vector vortex beams, as well as orbital angular momentum (OAM) detection and its observation in second harmonic generations Practical discussions of microwave SPP circuits and coding metasurfaces for vortex beam generation and OAM-based structured radio beams and their applications In-depth examinations and explorations of OAM multiplexing for wireless communications, wireless power transmission, as well as quantum communications and simulations Perfect for students of wireless communications, antenna/RF design, optical communications, and nanophotonics, Electromagnetic Vortices: Wave Phenomena and Engineering Applications is also an indispensable resource for researchers in academia, at large defense contractors, and in government labs.

From science fiction death rays to supermarket scanners, lasers have become deeply embedded in our daily lives and our culture. But in recent decades the standard laser beam has evolved into an array of more specialized light beams with a variety of strange and counterintuitive properties. Some of them have the ability to reconstruct themselves after disruption by an obstacle, while others can bend in complicated shapes or rotate like a corkscrew. These unusual optical effects open new and exciting possibilities for science and technology. For example, they make possible microscopic tractor beams that pull objects toward the source of the light, and they allow the trapping and manipulation of individual molecules to construct specially-tailored nanostructures for engineering or medical use. It has even been found that beams of light can produce lines of darkness that can be tied in knots. This book is an introductory survey of these specialized light beams and their scientific applications, at a level suitable for undergraduates with a basic knowledge of optics and quantum mechanics. It provides a unified treatment of the subject, collecting together in textbook form for the first time many topics currently found only in the original research literature.

The book gives a thorough introduction to singularities and their development. It explains in detail important topics such as the types of singularities, their properties, detection and application, and emerging research trends.

In 1988 physicists and chemists commemorated the centenary of the discovery of the first liquid crystals. Fora long period after this discovery, although many significant results were found, liquid crystal research remained a marginal topic of condensed matter physics. The situation changed in the sixties. At that time the remarkable electro-optical properties of liquid crystals were recognized and found soon widespread application in numeric displays. From a more fundamental point of view, the interest in disordered systems. increased in general at the same time. Liquid crystals represented an important dass of such systems. Among others, phase transitions, hydrodynamics and topological defects occurring in them attracted considerable attention. The connection between the liquid-crystalline state and the structure of biological membranes stimulated a Iot of works also. In the present volume we discuss a relatively new and rapidly developing branch of the fi. eld, namely nonlinear optical effects in liquid crystals. Optical studies have always played a signifi. cant role in liquid crystal science. Research of optical nonlinearities in liquid crystals began at the end of the sixties. Since then it became a powerful tool in the investigation of symmetry properties, interfacial phenomena or dynamic behaviour. Furthermore, several new aspects of nonlinear processes were demonstrated and studied extensively in liquid crystals. The subject covered in this book is therefore of importance both for liquid crystal research and for nonlinear optics itself. The term "nonlinear optics" is used here in a broad sense.

A Comprehensive Guide to Angular Momentum begins by considering substantiations of the theorem of angular momentum change and the law of conservation of angular momentum, as the change of angular momentum indicates an error in the method of calculating the dynamics of the Solar system. Following this, different techniques for the analysis of the orbital angular momentum of electromagnetic fields are reviewed and discussed, describing their main advantages and disadvantages, and providing key ready-to-use methods for detection. The concluding chapter provides a theoretical explanation of photonic orbital angular momentum and explains its distinction from atomic orbital angular momentum. Global conservation of angular momentum implies that light must transfer not only its spin, but also its orbital angular momentum in order to matter.