Extending q-plates to spatiotemporal vectorial topological pulse shaping
Abstract
Spatially structured light has enabled advanced topological and vectorial control, while spatiotemporal manipulation has so far remained largely restricted to scalar phase engineering. Here, we introduce a geometric-phase method for shaping spatiotemporal vectorial beams using q-plates of arbitrary topological charge. We develop an analytical framework describing the polarization-controlled generation of vector beams and polarization skyrmions in the space-time or momentum-time domain and experimentally validate it using an electrically tunable liquid-crystal q-plate. Our results establish q-plates as compact and reconfigurable platforms for vectorial topological shaping of ultrashort pulses, opening directions in spatiotemporal photonics.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Laser Material Processing Techniques
Quasicrystal Structures and Properties
Nonlinear Photonic Systems
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Optica
- Publisher
- Optica Publishing Group
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 527–527
- Publication date
- 27 February 2026
- Language
- EN