Addition and subtraction operation of optical orbital angular momentum with dielectric metasurfaces

Abstract In this work, we propose a simple approach to realize addition and subtraction operation of optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) based on dielectric metasurfaces. The spin–orbit interaction of light in spatially inhomogeneous and anisotropic metasurfaces results in the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion. The subtraction system of OAM consists of two cascaded metasurfaces, while the addition system of OAM is constituted by inserting a half waveplate (HWP) between the two metasurfaces. Our experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculation. These results could be useful for OAM-carrying beams applied in optical communication, information processing, etc.

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