Numerical modeling of optical modes in topological soft matter

Mur, Urban (author), Ravnik, Miha (author)

Vector and vortex laser beams are desired in many applications and are usually created by manipulating the laser output or by inserting optical components in the laser cavity. Distinctly, inserting liquid crystals into the laser cavity allows for extensive control over the emitted light due to their high susceptibility to external fields and birefringent nature. In this work we demonstrate diverse optical modes for lasing as enabled and stabilised by topological birefringent soft matter structures using numerical modelling. We show diverse structuring of light—with different 3D intensity and polarization profiles—as realised by topological soft matter structures in radial nematic droplet, in 2D nematic cavities of different geometry and including topological defects with different charges and winding numbers, in arbitrary varying birefringence fields with topological defects and in pixelated birefringent profiles. We use custom written FDFD code to calculate emergent electromagnetic eigenmodes. Control over lasing is of a particular interest aiming towards the creation of general intensity, polarization and topologically shaped laser beams.

• Language: English
• Keywords: soft matter physics, topological soft matter, optics
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 14393-14407
• Numbering: Vol. 30, no. 9, art. 454980
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145315
• UDC: 535:538.9
• ISSN on article: 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.454980
• COBISS.SI-ID: 105225731

Copyright

“© 2022 Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Open Access Publishing Agreement. Users may use, reuse, and build upon the article, or use the article for text or data mining, so long as such uses are for noncommercial purposes and appropriate attribution is maintained. All other rights are reserved.” (Datum opombe: 17. 4. 2023)

• Publication date in RUL: 17.04.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Optics express
• Shortened title: Opt. express
• Publisher: Optical Society of America
• ISSN: 1094-4087
• COBISS.SI-ID: 8636438

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: fizika mehke snovi, topološka mehka snov, optika