Nanofabrication of Topological Surface Relief Structures in Azopolymers With Tightly Focused Optical Skyrmions

ABSTRACT We demonstrate the nanofabrication of topological surface relief structures (surface reliefs with a shape like a Möbius strip) in azopolymers using longitudinal electric fields and nano‐scale circular polarization defects (C‐point polarization defect) created by tightly focused optical skyrmions. The fabricated surface reliefs exhibited structures with a shape like a Möbius strip, reflecting the topologically protected polarization textures (Möbius strip shaped electric field textures) of optical skyrmions. Also, the surface reliefs fabricated with Bloch skyrmions were twisted, becoming chiral, due to orbital angular momentum (OAM) transfer effects. Furthermore, a two‐dimensional (2D) array of nano‐scale topological surface reliefs was formed via the application of a 9 × 9 spot matrix diffractive optical element (DOE).