Cost-efficient generation of vector vortex beam from randomly polarized light source

Abstract

We generate a radially polarized vector vortex beam from the randomly polarized light source through the crafting of polarization mask using cheap polarized films. The quality of the transmitted beam is increased using a pinhole that filters out higher-order modes. The polarization states of the generated vortex beam are characterized using Stokes parameters. We used the classical measurement and rotating quarter-waveplate method to measure these parameters. We show that both methods are efficient tools for measurement. A doughnut shape beam is evident in the intensity distribution, which may indicate the presence of a vortex, while the predominant polarization states for each Stokes parameter are also observed. Our method of generating vector vortex beam is cost-efficient, eliminating the need for expensive optical elements, and is suitable for randomly polarized incident light sources.