High-peak-power Q-switched pulsed optical skyrmions

Abstract Optical skyrmions are topologically robust quasi-particles manifested as light-field structures with non-trivial topological characteristics, typically engineered by tailoring electromagnetic or other vectorial optical fields. Owing to their small size, high density, and diverse yet stable topological textures, these light-field configurations have attracted intense interest for applications in polarization-resolved imaging, high-density information storage and transmission, precision metrology. In this work, we report the generation of high-peak-power optical skyrmions based on a Q-switched pulsed laser system. Two orthogonally polarized pulse trains are produced simultaneously from the laser resonator. One train is converted directly to a left- or right-handed circularly polarized Gaussian beam by a quarter-wave plate, while the other, after the same plate, passes through a vortex wave plate to become a right- or left-handed circularly polarized vortex beam carrying orbital angular momentum. Subsequent extra-cavity interference of these two beams yields first-order Néel-, Bloch-, and Anti-skyrmion textures. The resulting high-peak-power optical skyrmions enhance both storage density and transmission reach, offering a promising platform for next-generation optical communication systems.