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Orbital angular momentum of light and the transformation of Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes

L. Allen, M. W. Beijersbergen, R. J. C. Spreeuw, and J. P. Woerdman
Phys. Rev. A 45, 8185 – Published 1 June 1992
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Abstract

Laser light with a Laguerre-Gaussian amplitude distribution is found to have a well-defined orbital angular momentum. An astigmatic optical system may be used to transform a high-order Laguerre-Gaussian mode into a high-order Hermite-Gaussian mode reversibly. An experiment is proposed to measure the mechanical torque induced by the transfer of orbital angular momentum associated with such a transformation.

  • Received 6 January 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.45.8185

©1992 American Physical Society

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Physical Review A 50th Anniversary Milestones

The collection contains papers that have made important contributions to atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum information by announcing significant discoveries or by initiating new areas of research.

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Authors & Affiliations

L. Allen, M. W. Beijersbergen, R. J. C. Spreeuw, and J. P. Woerdman

  • Huygens Laboratory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

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Vol. 45, Iss. 11 — June 1992

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