On-Fiber 3D Printed Broadband Radial and Azimuthal Vector Beam Generator

The generation of vector beams, particularly those with radial and azimuthal polarization, is highly significant in fields such as optical communications, microscopy, optical trapping, and material processing [1]. Conventional methods for generating vector beams in free space rely on setups involving multiple bulky beam-shaping components, including spatial light modulators, phase plates, and waveplates. The complexity of aligning these components and maintaining their alignment presents significant challenges, driving ongoing research into compact and monolithic fiber-based systems for vector beam generation. However, current approaches to generating vector beams via optical fibers are typically constrained by factors such as limited bandwidth, fiber modal crosstalk, polarization mixing, and the requirement for some free-space propagation after the fiber's end.