Generation of Vector Beams with Axially-Symmetric Polarization

Based on the optical rotatory effect of liquid crystal, we have fabricated a compact and efficient optical device for control of space-variant polarization. Using this device we generated vector beams that have axially-symmetric polarization from a linearly-polarized beam. In this paper, we describe the measured characteristics of polarization distributions and beam patterns in the near- and far-field regions, comparing these with theoretical predictions.