Generation of transversely oriented optical polarization Mobius strips

We report a time-reversal method based on the Richards-Wolf vectorial diffraction theory to generate a prescribed polarization topology on a defined trajectory within areas of relatively high intensity. An example is given to generate transversely oriented optical Mobius strips that wander around an axis perpendicular to the beam propagation direction. A number of sets of dipole antennae are purposefully positioned on a defined trajectory in the y = 0 plane and the radiation fields are collected by one high-NA objective lens. By sending the complex conjugate of the radiation fields in a time-reversed manner, the focal fields are calculated and the optical polarization topology on the trajectory can be tailored to form prescribed Mobius strips. The ability to control optical polarization topologies may find applications in nanofabrication, quantum communication, and light-matter interaction. (C) 2021 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement