Towards higher-dimensional structured light

• Main Authors: Forbes, A. (Author), He, C. (Author), Shen, Y. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Nature 2022
• Subjects: Degrees of freedom (mechanics); Detection and controls; High-dimensional; Higher-dimensional; Light control; Multiple degrees of freedom; Optical field; Orbital angular momentum; Quantum theory; Roadmap; Spatial structure; Structured Light; Traction control
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Structured light refers to the arbitrarily tailoring of optical fields in all their degrees of freedom (DoFs), from spatial to temporal. Although orbital angular momentum (OAM) is perhaps the most topical example, and celebrating 30 years since its connection to the spatial structure of light, control over other DoFs is slowly gaining traction, promising access to higher-dimensional forms of structured light. Nevertheless, harnessing these new DoFs in quantum and classical states remains challenging, with the toolkit still in its infancy. In this perspective, we discuss methods, challenges, and opportunities for the creation, detection, and control of multiple DoFs for higher-dimensional structured light. We present a roadmap for future development trends, from fundamental research to applications, concentrating on the potential for larger-capacity, higher-security information processing and communication, and beyond. © 2022, The Author(s).