Polarization-controlled generation of multiple orbital angular momentum modes

Abstract

By concurrently manipulating the degrees of freedom associated with polarization and orbital angular momentum (OAM), a variety of vector fields can be generated, which exhibit unique characteristics and have found extensive application in both classical and quantum optics. However, the OAM dimensions in these fields have been predominantly confined to two. Different from high-order OAM with a large topological charge, broadening the OAM dimensions beyond this limit and generating OAM spectra with multiple OAM modes can significantly enhance the scope of research. In this study, we explore vector fields with OAM dimensions exceeding ten, achieving polarization-controlled spectra in higher-dimensional OAM. Our findings not only offer a method for controlling high-dimensional OAM through polarization but also pave the way for potential applications in both classical and quantum realms utilizing high-dimensional vector states.