Generating and Separating Twisted Light by gradient-rotation Split-Ring Antenna Metasurfaces

Nanoscale compact optical vortex generators promise substantially significant prospects in modern optics and photonics, leading to many advances in sensing, imaging, quantum communication, and optical manipulation. However, conventional vortex generators often suffer from bulky size, low vortex mode purity in the converted beam, or limited operation bandwidth. Here, we design and demonstrate gradient-rotation split-ring antenna metasurfaces as unique spin-to-orbital angular momentum beam converters to simultaneously generate and separate pure optical vortices in a broad wavelength range. Our proposed design has the potential for realizing miniaturized on-chip OAM-multiplexers, as well as enabling new types of metasurface devices for the manipulation of complex structured light beams.