Orbital Angular Momentum in Optical Systems
Summary
Orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light arises when an optical beam exhibits a helical phase front, imparting quantised angular momentum per photon beyond the intrinsic spin. Since its recognition in the early 1990s, OAM has revolutionised both fundamental and applied photonics by providing a new degree of freedom for light–matter interaction. Beams carrying OAM feature a central phase singularity and annular intensity profile, enabling torque transfer to microscopic particles, enhanced information capacity in communications, and novel schemes in quantum optics. Research has progressed from the generation and detection of pure OAM modes to complex superpositions and spatiotemporal structuring, broadening the scope of optical manipulation, microscopy, high-dimensional entanglement and secure data transmission. Integration of OAM into optical fibres, waveguides and integrated circuits promises scalable devices for classical and quantum networks. As structured light technologies mature, OAM is poised to underpin next-generation applications in metrology, biomedical imaging and beyond.
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Orbital Angular Momentum in Optical Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in orbital angular momentum in optical systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Orbital angular momentum (OAM): Quantised angular momentum associated with the helical phase front of an optical beam, distinct from photon spin.
Topological charge: Integer index indicating the number of 2π phase windings around a beam’s axis, defining the OAM order.
Phase singularity: Point of zero intensity at a beam’s axis where phase is undefined, characteristic of vortex beams.
Spatiotemporal vortices: Optical fields with intertwined spatial and temporal phase singularities carrying OAM in both domains.
Structured light: Beams engineered in phase, amplitude or polarisation—such as vortex or vector modes—enabling advanced photonic functionalities.
References
- Optical spatiotemporal vortices. eLight (2023).
- Optical vortices 30 years on: OAM manipulation from topological charge to multiple singularities. Light: Science & Applications (2019).
- Optical trapping with structured light: a review. Advanced Photonics (2021).
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