尾松 孝茂

Recently, nanosecond pulsed optical vortices enables the production of a unique chiral and sharp needle-like nanostructure (nano-needle). However, the formation process of these structures has been unsolved although mass transport by angular momentum would contribute to the chirality. Here, we reveal that another key factor in the formation of a sharp nano-needle is the Marangoni effect during the melting condition at high temperature. Remarkably, the thickness and height of the nano-needle can be precisely controlled within 200 nm, corresponding to 1/25 of beam radius (5 µm) beyond the diffraction limit by ring-shaped inhomogeneous temperature rise. Our finding will facilitate the development of advanced nano-processing with a variety of structured light beams.

We successfully demonstrated ultrafast snapshot imaging based on time-to-frequency mapping method with four frames and ∼ 5.5 ns time interval (i.e. sub-GHz framerate) by using our newly-developed recirculation system without ultrafast image sensor.

We successfully demonstrated ultrafast snapshot imaging based on time-to-frequency mapping method with four frames and ∼ 5.5 ns time interval (i.e. sub-GHz framerate) by using our newly-developed recirculation system without ultrafast image sensor.

We propose and demonstrate a novel vortex Airy beam which is a superposition of an Airy beam and its laterally sheared beam with a pi/2 phase shift. This new-type of vortex Airy beam exhibits stable propagation dynamics, wherein its singular point closely follows its main lobe, unlike conventional vortex Airy beams. Notably, the orbital angular mode purity of this new vortex Airy beam is up to 10% better than that of a conventional vortex Airy beam. We anticipate that this new type of vortex Airy beam, which combines the characteristics of an optical vortex and a diffraction-free Airy beam, will facilitate new directions in applications such as microscopy, material processing and nonlinear optics.

The study of chirogenesis of organic molecules is important to elucidate the origin of the homochirality of biomolecules on Earth. Here, we have accomplished chiral symmetry breaking from a racemate using optical vortices with orbital angular momentum and a helical wavefront. We propose a new methodology of asymmetric transformation by the combination of enantioselective crystal nucleation by irradiation with optical vortices and crystallization-induced dynamic optical resolution of conglomerate crystals. Chiral green vortices generated using a spiral phase plate (SPP) with a 532 nm CW-laser were used to irradiate a supersaturated solution of a racemic isoindolinone, leading to crystal nucleation. The handedness of the crystals were controlled by the winding direction of the chiral optical vortices. The molecular chirality of the isoindolinone was then amplified by dynamic crystallization.

We propose a new-type vortex Airy beam with both orbital angular momentum and non-diffraction property as a superposition of laterally-sheared two Airy beams. The propagation characteristics are hugely improved compared with the conventional ones.

We have theoretically clarified the Marangoni effect can contribute to the needle formation in laser processing with an optical vortex. Using the simulation method of laser processing based on the computational fluid dynamics, we evaluated the laser-induced heating, phase-change, and molten material behavior. Under the irradiation of optical vortex with ringshaped intensity distribution, the Marangoni force toward the beam center acted on the molten material. As a result, in the presence of the Marangoni effect, the protrusion structure could be formed. The obtained results will reveal the mechanism that the optical vortex forms the needle shape, and lead to the development of laser processing with the angular momentum.