Generation of various vector beams based on vector superposition of two orthogonal linearly polarized TEM01 beams

We both theoretically and experimentally demonstrated the generation of various vector beams (VBs) by vector superposition of two orthogonal linearly polarized TEM01 beams. The theoretical analysis indicates that VBs with diverse polarization distributions can be synthesized through changing the mode directions or polarization directions of the two TEM01 beams and the phase difference between them. The polarization states of the synthesized VBs for each phase-difference value span a closed circle on the surface of the Poincare sphere, Sigma The center of the circle coincides with the center of Sigma, and the circle plane is perpendicular to the S2OS3 plane. Experimentally, an interferometric arrangement was employed to realize such a superposition process by using two discontinuous phase plates and a voltage-uploaded electro-optical phase-modulator. Various generalized cylindrical VBs and hybrid VBs were produced in our experiments with the same configuration. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.