Accessing electromagnetic properties of matter with cylindrical vector beams

Abstract: Cylindrical vector beam (CVB) is a structured lightwave characterized by its topologically nontrivial nature of the optical polarization. The unique electromagnetic field configuration of CVBs has been exploited to optical tweezers, laser accelerations, and so on. However, use of CVBs in research fields outside optics such as condensed matter physics has not progressed. In this paper, we propose potential applications of CVBs to those fields based on a general argument on their absorption by matter. We show that pulse azimuthal CVBs around terahertz (THz) or far-infrared frequencies can be a unique and powerful mean for time-resolved spectroscopy of magnetic properties of matter and claim that an azimuthal electric field of a pulse CVB would be a novel way of studying and controlling edge currents in topological materials. We also demonstrate how powerful CVBs will be as a tool for Floquet engineering of nonequilibrium states of matter.