Designing transfers of momentum

Optics researchers have seen huge developments in the understanding, control, and measurement of optical angular momentum in the 21st century. These insights have generally been enabled by advances in semi-conductor technology in both experiments and computation. I will cover three areas of optical angular momentum transfer that was enabled by these developments: spin—orbit coupling, beam shaping, and materials design. Recent technological advancements have enabled investigations of optical angular momentum and activity across a wide range of size scales. We have a good understanding of the optical elements through careful modelling of both the light that reaches objects and the scattering they cause. Structuring light enhances control of optical angular momentum transfer to matter, for example, to allow transfer of transverse angular momentum to wavelength sized particles. This approach can be generalised to optimise reflection, anisotropy, and absorption to enable control and measurement of matter. This in turn provides the impetus to create new devices for the same. I will cover previously published and new research of informed design of light fields and particles.