Creation of polarization gradients from superposition of counter propagating vector LG beams

Abstract

We present a detailed theoretical analysis of the formation of standing waves using cylindrically polarized vector Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams. It is shown that complex interplay between the radial and azimuthal polarization state can be used to realize different kinds of polarization gradients with cylindrically symmetric polarization distribution. Expressions for four different cases are presented and local dynamics of spatial polarization distribution is studied. We show cylindrically symmetric Sisyphus and corkscrew type polarization gradients can be obtained from vector LG beams. The optical landscape presented here with spatially periodic polarization patterns may find important applications in the field of atom optics, atom interferometry, atom lithography, and optical trapping.