A highly efficient element for generating elliptic perfect optical vortices

We generalize the concept of perfect optical vortices, studying the elliptic perfect optical vortices (EPOVs), which also have diameters independent of the topological charge. A phase-only diffractive optical element is proposed for the efficient generation of such EPOV. The intensity of the EPOV generated by this element is higher than that of the EPOV generated approximately by an elliptical axicon. We obtain exact analytical expressions for the orbital angular momentum (OAM) density and for the total OAM of the EPOV. These expressions show that the normalized OAM of the EPOV is fractional and it exceeds the OAM of the conventional circular perfect optical vortex, which equals the topological charge. It allows continuous controlling of the OAM by changing the ellipticity. We show analytically that the OAM density is maximal on the smaller side of the EPOV. The ratio of the maximal to the minimal OAM density equals the squared ratio of the ellipse dimensions. Using the proposed element, EPOVs that carry different topological charges are generated experimentally with the aid of a spatial light modulator. We experimentally confirm the independence of their size from the topological charge, which is determined interferometrically. Such EPOVs can be used for moving microscopic particles along an ellipse with acceleration, as well as for the generation of OAM-entangled photons.