Experimental Analysis of Light's Angular Momentum

Light's orbital angular momentum (OAM), and spin angular momentum (SAM), either used separately or together, offer revolutionary opportunities. Record-setting data transmission rates have been achieved by encoding information into light's OAM, limited only by the system \'{e}tendue, in the case of free-space transmission. Transformation optics provided by Martin Lavery of Glasgow Univ. allow for ultra-fast readout of OAM information. This complements our separate studies of holographic optical traps, where readout of optically induced torques is essential to a host of applications in microscopy, for which we have fabricated smaller-than-normal birefringent vaterite (CaCO$_{\mathrm{3}})$ microspheres.