Skyrmion engineering with origami.

Skyrmion structures play critical roles in solid-state systems involving electric, magnetic and optical fields. Previous approaches to the study of skyrmions have involved specific structures in magnetic materials, liquid crystals and polymers in addition to two-dimensional arrays used for electrical control. These methods have encountered limitations and constraints on both the microscopic and macroscopic scales related to the physical properties of materials. The present work demonstrates an origami-based skyrmion engineering strategy that suggests a new approach to topological control. This technique utilizes the unique properties of orientational origami, combining polarization techniques with rotationally symmetric, periodically folded designs. This strategy enables the transformation of flat sheets into three-dimensional structures with associated changes in optical topology, similar to the characteristics of proteins. Topological defects such as misalignments and dislocations in folded molecularly oriented sheets lead to the creation of skyrmion clusters at boundaries having different orientational orders. The strategy reported herein involves the construction of unique metamaterial platforms that could provide new applications for twistronics in graphene and photonic crystals.

Simultaneous detection of polarization states and wavefront by an angular variant micro-retarder-lens array.

We have demonstrated simultaneous detection of the polarization states and wavefront of light using a 7 × 7 array of angular variant micro-retarder-lenses. Manipulating the angular variant polarization with our optical element allows us to determine the two-dimensional distribution of polarization states. We have also proposed a calibration method for polarization measurements using our micro-retarder-lens array, allowing accurate detection of polarization states with an ellipticity of ± 0.01 and an azimuth of ± 1.0°. We made wavefront measurements using the micro-retarder-lens array, achieving a resolution of 25 nm. We conducted simultaneous detection of the polarization states and wavefront on four types of structured beam as samples. The results show that the two-dimensional distributions of the polarization states and wavefront for the four types of structured light are radially and azimuthally polarized beams, as well as left- and right-hand optical vortices. Our sensing technology has the potential to enhance our understanding of the nature of light in the fields of laser sciences, astrophysics, and even ophthalmology.