Patent ID: 8437588

Claim:
A system for generating an optical vector vortex beam, the system comprising: an optical fiber that supports a plurality of vector modes; a coupling component configured to couple a polarized beam of light into a proximate end of the optical fiber, wherein the polarized beam of light excites vector modes supported by the optical fiber to produce the optical vector vortex beam from a distal end of the optical fiber; and a polarizer component configured to produce the polarized beam of light from a non-polarized beam of light, wherein the polarizer component comprises a quarter-wave plate that is adjustable to control whether the optical vector vortex beam propagates in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, wherein the system is configured to cause a two-lobe optical vector vortex beam pattern rotating in the anti-clockwise direction by rotating an axis of analysis of the quarter-wave plate in the anti-clockwise direction to excite a linear combination of TM and TE vector modes with the same phase.