arXiv subjects

Pedro A. Quinto-Su

Publications and source records attributed to Pedro A. Quinto-Su.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Optical Möbius Snails

The exploration of topological states has emerged as a vibrant frontier across diverse physical systems. Among these, the Möbius strip stands out as a canonical structure that has recently inspired intriguing optical physics.In this work, we extend this concept into the high-dimensional realm by using an optical analogue-the optical Möbius snail. Specifically, employing a skyrmionic beam as the input field, tight focusing yields a continuous family of Möbius strips that exists in three-dimensional space, giving rise to a snail-like polarization topological texture. Furthermore, we demonstrate full-field polarization tomography and achieve switchable control of this optical snail texture by tuning the Skyrme number of the incident skyrmionic beam. Our findings establish a direct bridge between low- and high-dimensional Möbius geometries, opening a new platform for exploring complex spatial topology and tailored light-matter interactions.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Errors in single pixel photography emerging from light collection limits by the bucket detector

In single pixel photography an image is sampled with a programmable optical element like a digital micromirror array or a spatial light modulator that can project an orthogonal base. The light reflected or diffracted is collected by a lens and measured with a photodiode (bucket detector). In this work we demonstrate that single pixel photography that uses sampling bases with non-zero off-diagonal elements (i.e. Hadamard), can be susceptible to errors that emerge from the relative size of the bucket detector area compared with the spatial spread of the Fourier spectrum of the base element that has the the highest spatial frequency. Experiments with a spatial light modulator and simulations using a Hadamard basis show that if the bucket detector area is smaller than between $50-75\%$ of the maximum area spanned by the projected spectrum of the measurement basis, the reconstructed photograph will exhibit cross-talk with the effective phase of the optical system. The phase can be encoded or errors can be introduced in the optical system to demonstrate this effect.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2023

Interferometric measurement of arbitrary propagating vector beams that are tightly focused

In this work we demonstrate a simple setup to generate and measure arbitrary vector beams that are tightly focused. The vector beams are created with a spatial light modulator and focused with a microscope objective with an effective numerical aperture of 1.2. The transverse polarization components ($E_x$, $E_y$) of the tightly focused vector beams are measured with 3 step interferometry. The axial component $E_z$ is reconstructed using the transverse fields with Gauss law. We measure beams with the following polarization states: circular, radial, azimuthal, spiral, flower and spider web.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Simple computer program to calculate arbitrary tightly focused (propagating and evanescent) vector light fields

In this work we present a simple code to calculate tightly focused vectorial light fields (propagating and evanescent) generated by input fields that have arbitrary amplitude, phase and polarization. The program considers results from previous studies, like integration via fast Fourier transforms to speed up the integration. The calculations are done in a Cartesian coordinate system that is convenient to compare with experimental results for beams that are shaped with programmable optical elements like spatial light modulators or digital micromirror arrays. We also discuss how to avoid diverging terms at the origin by shifting the angular mesh by half a point and correcting the output by cancelling the phase term that arises from the shifted Fourier transform.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Bullseye focusing of cylindrical waves at a liquid-solid interface

Two converging and superimposing shock and Rayleigh waves are generated on a glass substrate by focusing laser pulses on two concentric rings in a bullseye configuration (67\mm~and 96\mm~radii). We study experimentally the threshold for substrate damage as a function of the number of repetitions and the delay (0-20\,ns). The bullseye focusing experiments are compared to a single focusing ring. Additionally, fluid-structure interaction simulations using a Volume-of-Fluid framework are utilized to estimate the stresses. The lowest number of repetitions to attain surface damage is found for constructive superposition of the Rayleigh waves, i.e., here for a delay of $10\,$ns. The observed damage is consistent with the simulations where the largest positive stresses ($\sim 5.6\,$GPa) are achieved for bullseye focusing with \dt = 10\,ns, followed by \dt= 20\,ns which corresponds to simultaneous shock wave focusing. In all these cases, the positive stresses are followed (a few nanoseconds later) by negative stresses that can reach $\sim-6.4\,$GPa.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2021

Measurement of structured tightly focused vector beams with classical interferometry

We report the first measurement with no approximations of the full field of tightly focused vector beams (NA up to $1.23$) across areas of $\sim 9-49\,λ^2$. Prior to focusing, the structured laser light has a linear or circular polarization state. The transverse components are extracted directly from 12 interferograms using 4 step interferometry, while the longitudinal component is extracted from the transverse fields with Gauss law. Different structured beams are measured to demonstrate that the method works for any field geometry. In the case of circular polarization we use vortex beams to verify the appearance of spin-orbit coupling in the axial component. The measurements are compared with simulations with normalized cross correlations that yield mean values $\geq 0.8$, confirming good agreement.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2019

Microparticle transport networks with holographic optical tweezers and cavitation bubbles

Optical transport networks for active absorbing microparticles are made with holographic optical tweezers. The particles are powered by the optical potentials that make the network and transport themselves via random vapor propelled hops to different traps without the requirement for external forces or microfabricated barriers. The geometries explored for the optical traps are square lattices, circular arrays and random arrays. The degree distribution for the connections or possible paths between the traps are localized like in the case of random networks. The commute times to travel across $n$ different traps scale as $n^2$, in agreement with random walks on connected networks. Once a particle travels the network, others are attracted as a result of the vapor explosions.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2019

Phase dependent vectorial current control in symmetric noisy optical ratchets

In this work we demonstrate single microparticle transport in a symmetric noisy optical ratchet where each potential is a low power ($<2.5$ mW) three dimensional trap. The optical potentials consist of 20 symmetric optical traps arranged in a one-dimensional lattice produced by a spatial light modulator. The external periodic force of the ratchet system adds to zero over one period (symmetric) and is generated by the motion of a piezo-electric microscope stage. Transport is achieved by adding noise to the potentials by randomly varying the diffracted power into the traps at the same frequency of the external force. We show that the direction and speed of motion (current) is coupled to the phase difference between the noise in the optical potentials and the external periodic force.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Noise-Enabled Optical Ratchets

In this work we demonstrate single microparticle transport enabled by noise in a one dimensional optical lattice with periodic symmetric potentials and a small constant external force. The one dimensional lattice is implemented by six focused beams with holographic optical tweezers, where a microparticle is trapped in three dimensions. Transport initiates when dynamical disorder is added to the diffracted laser power at each trap ($\pm 30\%$) at a fixed frequency (0 to 35 Hz), while the direction of motion is set by the constant external force. We find that transport is only achieved within a narrow noise frequency range, which is consistent with simulations, and the predicted behavior and observations of noise-induced energy transport in quantum and classical systems. To our knowledge this is the first direct observation of noise-assisted transport in a colloidal system.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Transient trapping of two microparticles interacting with optical tweezers and cavitation bubbles

In this work we show that two absorbing microbeads can briefly share the same optical trap. Optical forces pull the particles towards the waist of the trapping beam. However, once a particle reaches the vicinity of the waist, the surrounding liquid is superheated creating an explosion or cavitation bubble that pushes the particle away while lengthening or shortening the trajectories of the surrounding particles. In this way each particle briefly interacts with the beam waist at different times. We find that when two microbeads reach the waist simultaneously, a larger explosion might result in ejection from the trap. We measure the characteristic timescale of two particle coalescence near the waist and find a Poisson decaying exponential probability distribution. The results are consistent with a simple simulation and show why the characteristic timescales for transient trapping of multiple absorbing particles decrease as more objects are added.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2016

Characterization of periodic cavitation in an optical tweezer

Microscopic vapor explosions or cavitation bubbles can be generated periodically in an optical tweezer with a microparticle that partially absorbs at the trapping laser wavelength. In this work we measure the size distribution and the production rate of cavitation bubbles for microparticles with a diameter of 3 $μ$m using high speed video recording and a fast photodiode. We find that there is a lower bound for the maximum bubble radius $R_{max}\sim 2~μ$m which can be explained in terms of the microparticle size. More than $94 \%$ of the measured $R_{max}$ are in the range between 2 and 6 $μ$m, while the same percentage of the measured individual frequencies $f_i$ or production rates are between 10 and 200 Hz. The photodiode signal yields an upper bound for the lifetime of the bubbles, which is at most twice the value predicted by the Rayleigh equation. We also report empirical relations between $R_{max}$, $f_i$ and the bubble lifetimes.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2013

Observation of non-diffracting behavior at the single-photon level

We demonstrate the generation of non-diffracting heralded single photons, i.e. which are characterized by a single-photon transverse intensity distribution which remains essentially unchanged over a significant propagation distance. For this purpose we have relied on the process of spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) for the generation of signal and idler photon pairs, where our SPDC crystal is pumped by a Bessel-Gauss (BG) beam. Our experiment shows that the well-understood non-diffracting behavior of a BG beam may be directly mapped to the signal-mode, single photons heralded by the detection of a single idler photon. In our experiment, the heralded single photon is thus arranged to be non-diffracting without the need for projecting its single-photon transverse amplitude, post-generation, in any manner.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2012

Birth and growth of cavitation bubbles within water under tension confined in a simple synthetic tree

Water under tension, as can be found in several systems including tree vessels, is metastable. Cavitation can spontaneously occur, nucleating a bubble. We investigate the dynamics of spon- taneous or triggered cavitation inside water filled microcavities of a hydrogel. Results show that a stable bubble is created in only a microsecond timescale, after transient oscillations. Then, a diffusion driven expansion leads to filling of the cavity. Analysis reveals that the nucleation of a bubble releases a tension of several tens of MPa, and a simple model captures the different time scales of the expansion process.

physics.flu-dyn↗