Use of a Two-Channel Moiré Wavefront Sensor for Measuring Topological Charge Sign of the Vortex Beam and Investigation of Its Change Due to an Odd Number of Reflections

One of the solutions of the Helmholtz equation is the vortex beams. In the recent decades, production and applications of these types of beams have found serious attentions. Determination of the vortex beam topological charge and its sign are very important issues. Odd number of reflections of the vortex beam changes its vorticity. In this paper, we have used a q-plate to generate a vortex beam from a plane wave of a He-Ne laser beam and a two-channel moiré based wavefront sensor is used to measure wavefront gradient of the vortex beam. In two different arrangements the vortex beam experience odd and even number of reflections, respectively, and from the moiré pattern deformations the topological charge of the vortex beam and its sign are determined.