Polarization is a fundamental property of light, corresponding to the spin angular momentum of photons in the quantum picture. Additionally, photons can carry orbital angular momentum (OAM). The number of possible OAM states of light is in theory infinite, allowing one to encode substantial amounts of information in light. In addition to applications in communication and information technologies, OAM-carrying light is intriguing from the fundamental point of view. We will develop a novel integrated photonic system for generating and detecting laser light beams that can carry hundreds or even thousands of OAM modes. Using such extraordinary light, we will also introduce a new method for the chemical analysis of gases and liquids.

2024

2028