fundamental Hermite-Gaussian mode into a Laguerre-Gaussian mode with an azimuthal phase component. A ray optics analysis confirms that the Laguerre-Gaussian beam produced has a total angular momentum equivalent to ℓħ per photon.
A spiral phaseplate is used at millimetre-wave frequencies to transform a free-space, fundamental Hermite-Gaussian mode into a Laguerre-Gaussian mode with an azimuthal phase component. A ray optics analysis confirms that the Laguerre-Gaussian beam produced has a total angular momentum equivalent to ℓħ per photon.