Extending the detection range of optical vortices by Dammann vortex gratings

We report a 2D static binary phase Dammann vortex grating that combines the features of a conventional vortex grating and a Dammann grating. This grating uniformly distributes energies among the diffraction orders, so the low-efficiency problem at higher diffraction orders of conventional vortex gratings is resolved and the detection range of the optical vortices (OVs) is greatly increased. Experimental results of OV detection using a fabricated 5 x 5 Dammann vortex grating are given, and the topological charge detection range from -12 to +12 is achieved. The potential applications of such gratings include transmitting, receiving, and multiplexing OV beams in optical communication systems. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America