Circularly Symmetric Light Waves: An Overview

Abstract: Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) waves were first recognized as those specific vortex solutions of the paraxial Helmholtz equation for which the orbital contribution to the total angular momentum of the beam yields an integer multiple of $\hbar$ along the propagation direction. However, this class of solutions can be generalized to include more sophisticated vector vortex waves with coupled polarization and spatial complexity, that are eigenfunctions of the third component of the angular momentum operator. In this work, a rigorous framework is proposed for the analysis of all the possible families of vortex solutions to the homogeneous Helmholtz equation. Both the scalar and vector cases are studied in depth, making use of an operator approach which emphasizes their intimate connection with the two-dimensional rotation group. Furthermore, a special focus is given to the characterization of the propagation properties of the most popular families of paraxial OAM beams.