Berlin 2014 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 67: Photonics III

Q 67.2: Talk

Friday, March 21, 2014, 16:45–17:00, UDL HS3038

Optical realisation of weak measurements with non-integer orbital angular momentum states — •Jörg Götte — Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme, Nöthnitzer Str. 38, 01187 Dresden, Deutschland

Weak measurements typically require two non-orthogonal states, which are not eigenstates of an observable. This is why weak values of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) operator seem counterintuitive in optics, as the corresponding eigenstates are the orthogonal modes with azimuthal quantum number ℓ. Most schemes therefore involve additional auxiliary observables, such as polarization of the light, or a change to the conjugate basis, the angular position. We show how the use of light beams with non-integer OAM circumvents these problems and how weak values can be rigorously related to the position of phase singularities in the optical field of the pointer. This establishes firmly the connection between singular optics and the enhancement techniques common for weak values.