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Twisted photons

Nature Physics volume 3, pages 305–310 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The orbital angular momentum of light represents a fundamentally new optical degree of freedom. Unlike linear momentum, or spin angular momentum, which is associated with the polarization of light, orbital angular momentum arises as a subtler and more complex consequence of the spatial distribution of the intensity and phase of an optical field — even down to the single photon limit. Consequently, researchers have only begun to appreciate its implications for our understanding of the many ways in which light and matter can interact, or its practical potential for quantum information applications. This article reviews some of the landmark advances in the study and use of the orbital angular momentum of photons, and in particular its potential for realizing high-dimensional quantum spaces.

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Figure 1: Properties of light with orbital angular momentum.
Figure 2: Observation of orbital angular momentum correlations with single photons.
Figure 3: Bell experiments with OAM modes.
Figure 4: Is cheating any harder in the quantum world?

© 2006 APS

Figure 5: The OAM of light can be used as a tool to manipulate and control quantum states of matter.

© 2006 APS

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Acknowledgements

This work has been partially supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya, by the European Commission under the integrated project Qubit Applications (QAP) funded by the IST directorate (Contract No. 015848), and by the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia/Government of Spain (Consolider Ingenio 2010 QIOT CSD2006-00019, FIS2004-03556, and TEC2005-07815).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICFO-Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques, Mediterranean Technology Park, Castelldefels (Barcelona), 08860, Spain

    Gabriel Molina-Terriza, Juan P. Torres & Lluis Torner

  2. ICREA- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, 08010, Spain

    Gabriel Molina-Terriza

  3. Department of Signal Theory and Communications, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Juan P. Torres & Lluis Torner

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  1. Gabriel Molina-Terriza
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Correspondence to Juan P. Torres.

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Molina-Terriza, G., Torres, J. & Torner, L. Twisted photons. Nature Phys 3, 305–310 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys607

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