Generation of an optical vortex with a segmented deformable mirror.

We present a method for the creation of optical vortices by using a deformable mirror. Optical vortices of integer and fractional charge were successfully generated at a wavelength of 633 nm and observed in the far field (2000 mm). The obtained intensity patterns proved to be in agreement with the theoretical predictions on integer and fractional charge optical vortices.

Mode purity comparison of optical vortices generated by a segmented deformable mirror and a static multilevel phase plate.

We present a mode purity comparison between optical vortices (OVs) generated by a static multilevel phase plate with 16 or 32 phase steps and a vortex generated with a segmented deformable mirror with 37 actuators. Computer simulations show the intensity and phase of the vortices generated with the two methods. The deformable mirror, by being reconfigurable, shows better mode purity for high charge OVs, while the static phase plate mode efficiency declines due to the fixed number phase quantization.