Establishment of the fundamental phase-to-polarization link in classical optics

TL;DR

This paper establishes a fundamental link between phase and polarization in classical optics through phase vectorization, enabling real-time, pixel-level polarization control with a phase-only spatial light modulator.

Contribution

It introduces the principle of phase vectorization to connect phase changes with polarization states and demonstrates a polarized-spatial light modulator based on this principle.

Findings

Successful phase-to-polarization conversion demonstrated

Real-time, pixel-level polarization manipulation achieved

Complete phase control retained in the modulator

Abstract

Vector polarization induced by a change in scalar phase has been far beyond our understanding of the relationship between polarization and phase in classical optics due to the entanglement of inherent polarized modes of light beams. To overcome this limitation, we establish this miraculous relationship by the principle of phase vectorization, which can transform three particular phases into linear, circular and elliptical polarizations. A polarized-spatial light modulator based on the principle of phase vectorization can be achieved using a phase-only spatial light modulator, which not only enables pixel-level polarization manipulation of light beams in a real-time dynamic way but also simultaneously retains complete phase control. This work demonstrates the phase-to-polarization link and reports the creation of polarized-spatial light modulator, which will transform our view of the natural properties of light beam and pave the way for the era of vector optics.