Robust and adjustable C-shaped vortex beams

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel method for designing and generating robust, adjustable C-shaped vortex beams with orbital angular momentum, useful for quantum technologies and various applications.

Contribution

It introduces a new design of C-shaped vortex beams with adjustable features and demonstrates their generation and potential applications in quantum wave manipulation.

Findings

The vortex line in the beam core enhances robustness against propagation.

Topological charge controls the size of the C-shape.

Vortex-anti-vortex loops adjust the opening angle.

Abstract

Wavefront engineering is an important quantum technology. Here, we demonstrate the design and production of a robust C-shaped and orbital angular momentum (OAM) carrying beam in which the doughnut shaped structure contains an adjustable gap. We find that the presence of the vortex line in the core of the beam is crucial for the robustness of the C-shape against beam propagation. The topological charge of the vortex core controls mainly the size of the C, while its opening angle is controlled by the presence of vortex-anti-vortex loops. We demonstrate the generation and characterisation of C-shaped electron vortex beams, although the result is equally applicable to other quantum waves. Applications of C-shaped vortex beams include lithography, dynamical atom sorting and atomtronics.