Optical vortices in nanophotonics

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress in nanophotonics related to the generation, detection, and applications of optical vortices, highlighting their potential to enhance light manipulation and information capacity at the nanoscale.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in nanophotonics for optical vortex generation and detection, emphasizing new concepts and applications.

Findings

Advances in nanostructured materials enable efficient optical vortex generation.

Nanophotonic devices facilitate precise control and detection of optical vortices.

Applications include enhanced optical communication and light-matter interaction studies.

Abstract

In the last two decades, optical vortices carried by twisted light wavefronts have attracted a great deal of interest, providing not only new physical insights into light-matter interactions, but also a transformative platform for boosting optical information capacity. Meanwhile, advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology lead to the emerging field of nanophotonics, offering an unprecedented level of light manipulation via nanostructured materials and devices. Many exciting ideas and concepts come up when optical vortices meet nanophotonic devices. Here, we provide a mini review on recent achievements made in nanophotonics for the generation and detection of optical vortices and some of their applications.