Angular momentum properties of electromagnetic field transmitted through holey plasmonic vortex lenses.

We performed three-dimensional finite elements simulations of the optical response of holey plasmonic vortex lenses, i.e., spiral grooves milled on a thin gold film with a hole at the center. We focus in particular on the properties of the wave transmitted in the underlying half-space, which is shown to be a relevant part of the transmitted field. We find out that the angular momentum selection rule for this part of the field is different from the one for the transmitted plasmonic vortex, although closely related to the plasmonic interaction of the impinging wave with the chiral geometry.

Focusing dynamics on circular distributed tapered metallic waveguides by means of plasmonic vortex lenses.

We investigate the focusing effect on circularly distributed planar tapered plasmonic waveguides by means of three-dimensional (3D) finite elements simulations. The proposed configuration allows nanofocusing on four faced planar nanotips, showing efficient condensation of surface plasmons polaritons (SPPs) at the silver/air interface toward the endpoint of the tips. By means of a plasmonic vortex lens it is possible to illuminate the tips with SPP waves carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), namely plasmonic vortices. Our 3D simulations show that by acting on the topological charge of the plasmonic vortex the electric field charge distribution at the tips apex can be controlled accordingly to the input electric field phase distribution. The results for three particular OAM values are shown, along with a generalization for arbitrary plasmonic vortex angular momentum values.

Fabrication and testing of l = 2 optical vortex phase masks for coronography.

In this paper we present the fabrication process and tests of two different types of l = 2 spiral phase plates (SPPs), designed for an Optical Vortex Coronagraph (OVC) in the visible wavelength regime. Each phase mask is realized dividing the spirals area in sectors respectively of 8 and 512 of levels using lithographic nanofabrication approach. The SPPs produces different optical vortices (OVs) with topological charge l that depends on the number of steps and on the wavelength. We found that the residual light in the central dark region of the OV tends to zero as the number of steps increases.