Tunable cylindrical vector beam generation via low-cost printed binary holograms

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple, low-cost method for generating tunable cylindrical vector beams using printed binary holograms and a modified interferometer, suitable for compact and educational applications.

Contribution

The authors present a novel, cost-effective approach for producing tunable cylindrical vector beams with adjustable polarization states using printed holograms and a modified interferometer.

Findings

Successfully generated various CVBs with tunable polarization.

Measured high degree of nonseparability consistent with theoretical predictions.

Demonstrated continuous tuning from scalar to vector beams.

Abstract

We report a low-cost method for generating cylindrical vector beams using binary holograms printed on acetate sheets and a modified Michelson interferometer incorporating a cylindrical-lens mode converter. By simply exchanging the hologram the device produces a variety of CVBs with tunable spatial-polarisation nonseparability. The transverse polarisation distributions reconstructed via Stokes polarimetry show spatial-polarisation features consistent with numerical simulations. The degree of nonseparability is further quantified using the vector quality factor (concurrence), demonstrating values in good agreement with theoretical expectations across the generated states. The use of wave-plate retarders enables continuous tuning from scalar to fully vector beams. The simplicity, robustness, and low cost of the proposed system make it an attractive alternative to programmable modulators for compact optical platforms and teaching laboratories.