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Particle-like topologies in light

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Particle-like topologies in light. / Sugic, Danica; Droop, Ramon; Otte, Eileen et al.
In: Nature Communications, Vol. 12, 6785, 22.11.2021.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Sugic, D, Droop, R, Otte, E, Ehrmanntraut, D, Nori, F, Ruostekoski, J, Denz, C & Dennis, MR 2021, 'Particle-like topologies in light', Nature Communications, vol. 12, 6785. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26171-5

APA

Sugic, D., Droop, R., Otte, E., Ehrmanntraut, D., Nori, F., Ruostekoski, J., Denz, C., & Dennis, M. R. (2021). Particle-like topologies in light. Nature Communications, 12, Article 6785. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26171-5

Vancouver

Sugic D, Droop R, Otte E, Ehrmanntraut D, Nori F, Ruostekoski J et al. Particle-like topologies in light. Nature Communications. 2021 Nov 22;12:6785. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26171-5

Author

Sugic, Danica ; Droop, Ramon ; Otte, Eileen et al. / Particle-like topologies in light. In: Nature Communications. 2021 ; Vol. 12.

Bibtex

@article{17f9e1b5bbb042b28d684eda87360b94,
title = "Particle-like topologies in light",
abstract = "Three-dimensional (3D) topological states resemble truly localised, particle-like objects in physical space. Among the richest such structures are 3D skyrmions and hopfions, that realise integer topological numbers in their configuration via homotopic mappings from real space to the hypersphere (sphere in 4D space) or the 2D sphere. They have received tremendous attention as exotic textures in particle physics, cosmology, superfluids, and many other systems. Here we experimentally create and measure a topological 3D skyrmionic hopfion in fully structured light. By simultaneously tailoring the polarisation and phase profile, our beam establishes the skyrmionic mapping by realising every possible optical state in the propagation volume. The resulting light field{\textquoteright}s Stokes parameters and phase are synthesised into a Hopf fibration texture. We perform volumetric full-field reconstruction of the Π3mapping, measuring a quantised topological charge, or Skyrme number, of 0.945. Such topological state control opens avenues for 3D optical data encoding and metrology. The Hopf characterisation of the optical hypersphere endows a fresh perspective to topological optics, offering experimentally-accessible photonic analogues to the gamut of particle-like 3D topological textures, from condensed matter to high-energy physics.",
author = "Danica Sugic and Ramon Droop and Eileen Otte and Daniel Ehrmanntraut and Franco Nori and Janne Ruostekoski and Cornelia Denz and Dennis, {Mark R.}",
year = "2021",
month = nov,
day = "22",
doi = "10.1038/s41467-021-26171-5",
language = "English",
volume = "12",
journal = "Nature Communications",
issn = "2041-1723",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Particle-like topologies in light

AU - Sugic, Danica

AU - Droop, Ramon

AU - Otte, Eileen

AU - Ehrmanntraut, Daniel

AU - Nori, Franco

AU - Ruostekoski, Janne

AU - Denz, Cornelia

AU - Dennis, Mark R.

PY - 2021/11/22

Y1 - 2021/11/22

N2 - Three-dimensional (3D) topological states resemble truly localised, particle-like objects in physical space. Among the richest such structures are 3D skyrmions and hopfions, that realise integer topological numbers in their configuration via homotopic mappings from real space to the hypersphere (sphere in 4D space) or the 2D sphere. They have received tremendous attention as exotic textures in particle physics, cosmology, superfluids, and many other systems. Here we experimentally create and measure a topological 3D skyrmionic hopfion in fully structured light. By simultaneously tailoring the polarisation and phase profile, our beam establishes the skyrmionic mapping by realising every possible optical state in the propagation volume. The resulting light field’s Stokes parameters and phase are synthesised into a Hopf fibration texture. We perform volumetric full-field reconstruction of the Π3mapping, measuring a quantised topological charge, or Skyrme number, of 0.945. Such topological state control opens avenues for 3D optical data encoding and metrology. The Hopf characterisation of the optical hypersphere endows a fresh perspective to topological optics, offering experimentally-accessible photonic analogues to the gamut of particle-like 3D topological textures, from condensed matter to high-energy physics.

AB - Three-dimensional (3D) topological states resemble truly localised, particle-like objects in physical space. Among the richest such structures are 3D skyrmions and hopfions, that realise integer topological numbers in their configuration via homotopic mappings from real space to the hypersphere (sphere in 4D space) or the 2D sphere. They have received tremendous attention as exotic textures in particle physics, cosmology, superfluids, and many other systems. Here we experimentally create and measure a topological 3D skyrmionic hopfion in fully structured light. By simultaneously tailoring the polarisation and phase profile, our beam establishes the skyrmionic mapping by realising every possible optical state in the propagation volume. The resulting light field’s Stokes parameters and phase are synthesised into a Hopf fibration texture. We perform volumetric full-field reconstruction of the Π3mapping, measuring a quantised topological charge, or Skyrme number, of 0.945. Such topological state control opens avenues for 3D optical data encoding and metrology. The Hopf characterisation of the optical hypersphere endows a fresh perspective to topological optics, offering experimentally-accessible photonic analogues to the gamut of particle-like 3D topological textures, from condensed matter to high-energy physics.

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-021-26171-5

DO - 10.1038/s41467-021-26171-5

M3 - Journal article

VL - 12

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

SN - 2041-1723

M1 - 6785

ER -