Nonlinear Mixing of Optical Vortices with Fractional Topological Charges in Raman Sideband Generation.

POSTER

Abstract

We studied the nonlinear parametric interaction of femtosecond fractionally-charged optical vortices in a Raman-active medium. Propagation of such beams is described using the Kirchhoff-Fresnel integrals by embedding a non-integer 2pi phase step in a Gaussian beam profile. When using fractionally-charged pump or Stokes beams, we observed the production of new topological charge and phase discontinuities in the Raman field. These newly generated fractionally-charged Raman vortex beams were found to follow the same orbital angular momentum algebra derived by [Strohaber et al., Opt. Lett. 37, 3411 (2012)] for integer vortex beams.

*This work was funded by the Robert A. Welch Foundation, Grant No. A1546 and the Qatar Foundation under Grants No. NPRP 6-465-1-091.

Authors

  • James Strohaber

    • Florida A\&M University
    • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

  • Yakup Boran

    • Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University

  • Muhammed Sayrac

    • Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University

  • Lewis Johnson

    • Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

  • Feng Zhu

    • Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University

  • Alexandre Kolomenskii

    • Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University

  • Hans Schuessler

    • Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University