Physical and encoded Q-plates for the generation of switchable vector beams

In this work we report on our achievements in generating switchable and arbitrary vector beams by means of q-plates. Two kind of q-plates are considered: i) a physical prototype from Citizen Co. and ii) a virtual device that is encoded onto a spatial light modulator (SLM). In both cases experimental and analytical results within the Jones formalism are shown. The performance of a segmented and tunable liquid crystal q-plate prototype is characterized at visible and telecommunications wavelengths, and the generation of first-order vector beams is probed. By using a reflective geometry and tuning the q-plate at half-wave or at quarter-wave retardance, it is shown how the device can operate either as a q-plate with double order. Finally, we show the generation of arbitrary programmable integer and fractional vector beams by encoding a q-plate onto a SLM based system. The system is based on a double-pass configuration that consecutively modulates the vertical and the horizontal polarization components of light using a transmissive LCoS display. Therefore, new and exotic q-plate designs can be analyzed prior to their fabrication.