Vortex phenomena are widespread in nature, from typhoons to ocean currents. In the field of optics, vortex beams, which carry orbital angular momentum, have spiral wavefronts and ring-shaped intensity distributions, showing great potential in quantum information processing, particle manipulation, and other applications. However, the ring-shaped intensity and orbital angular momentum of traditional vortex beams are influenced by the topological charge, limiting their use in scenarios involving multiple beam superposition. The advent of perfect vortex beams has addressed this issue their ring-shaped intensity distribution remains constant, and the beam diameter is independent of the topological charge, offering new possibilities for high-precision optical applications. Nevertheless, traditional methods for generating perfect vortex beams rely on optical elements such as spiral phase plates and axicons, which pose challenges due to the complexity of the system, large volume, and stringent alignment requirements.
Metasurfaces, as two-dimensional engineered materials, can precisely manipulate electromagnetic wavefronts through subwavelength units. They offer advantages such as compact structure, ease of integration, and simple fabrication, making them an ideal platform for the miniaturization and integration of perfect vortex beam generation. Based on this, the research team led by Xu Feng Jing at China Jiliang University has systematically reviewed the latest advancements in metasurfaces for the generation and control of perfect vortex beams, providing a comprehensive reference for future research and applications in this field.
The research team led by Xufeng Jing at China Jiliang University was invited to publish a review article titled " Research Progress on Generating Perfect Vortex Beams Based on Metasurfaces" in Opto-Electronic Science, Volume 4, 2025 (DOI: 10.29026/oes.2025.250007). The article systematically reviews the latest advancements in the field of generating and controlling perfect vortex beams using metasurfaces.
The paper is organized into three main sections:
- The core advantage of metasurfaces lies in their ability to integrate the phase functions of traditional optical elements into a single device. The article focuses on two main mechanisms for phase control: pure geometric phase (PB phase) control and the collaborative control of geometric and dynamic phases. The former relies on subwavelength unit rotation to achieve phase jumps , while the latter circumvents the limitations of single-phase control by co-designing unit size and rotation angle. Both mechanisms enable the efficient generation of perfect vortex beams with stable ring-shaped intensity distributions.
- The article provides a detailed discussion on the progress in generating complex perfect vortex beams, covering various functionalized beams such as elliptical perfect vortex beams, fractional-order perfect vortex beams, multi-channel/concentric-ring perfect vortex beams , and grafted perfect vortex beams. These beams, through optimized metasurface phase distributions, achieve characteristics such as adjustable ellipticity, minimized intensity gaps, multi-beam parallel generation, and non-uniform distribution of orbital angular momentum. These advancements expand the adaptability of vortex beams to diverse application scenarios.
- The article focuses on the practical value of perfect vortex beams, providing a detailed introduction to their core applications in particle manipulation and optical communication. In particle manipulation, the unique intensity and phase distributions of different types of vortex beams enable the capture, sorting, and directional control of various particles. In optical communication, the parallel transmission capability of multi-channel beams significantly enhances communication capacity and transmission efficiency . Additionally, the article highlights the potential applications of this technology in emerging fields such as quantum information processing and super-resolution imaging, offering guidance for future research directions.
Conclusion:
This review comprehensively summarizes the technological breakthroughs and current application status of metasurfaces in the generation of perfect vortex beams. It highlights the challenges metasurfaces face in areas such as broadband applicability, high topological charge purity of the beams, and control over fabrication costs. Future research can further improve the generation quality and application flexibility of perfect vortex beams by developing low-loss, high-refractive-index new materials, optimizing nanofabrication processes, and constructing dynamically tunable metasurfaces. These advancements are expected to drive the industrial application of perfect vortex beams in cutting-edge fields such as quantum information, super-resolution imaging, and laser processing.
Funding Support: This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 62175224), the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation (Project No. LY22F050001), and the Zhejiang Provincial High-Level Talent Special Support Program (Project No. 2021R52032).
Introduction of the research group:
The research team led by Professor Xufeng Jing at China Jiliang University primarily focuses on metamaterials, metasurfaces, micro-nano photonics, terahertz waves, microwave communications, and coded metamaterials metasurfaces. In recent years, they have published several high-level papers in renowned international journals such as Opto-Electronic Science, Opto-Electronic Advances, and Nanophotonics. Their research findings provide key technical support for the application of metasurfaces in fields such as optical communication, particle manipulation, and biomedicine.
