Towards Novel Generation Of Classically Entangled Vector Beams

In physics, entanglement was first described as a purely quantum phenomenon in which two systems are non-separable, where measuring one system affects the outcome of the measurement of the other. However, it is possible to produce such a result in a purely classical environment (i.e. with locality of the systems), which is classical entanglement. One way this can be done is by considering entanglement of internal degrees of freedom of vector vortex beams in coherent light rather than quantum objects such as two entangled photons. This method allows for classical entanglement between the orbital and spin angular momenta of a vector vortex beam. We present progress towards a new method to produce these inequality-violating beams experimentally using two overlapped beams with spatial and polarization modes from a single laser. This method is inherently phase-stable because it uses common-path optics, which removes the need for active stabilization, which is expensive and complicated. This will also allow for further analogues to quantum measurements to be applied to classically entangled light and will provide easier access to making these measurements. Thus, this novel method of generation will provide a simpler method for studying quantum phenomena mimicked in a classical setting.