The reconstruction of optical angular momentum after distortion in amplitude, phase and polarization

Propagation through a distorting obstacle may significantly influence the amplitude, phase and polarization state of a light beam. This potentially has consequences for the behaviour of the optical angular momentum of light. We experimentally study how both the spin and orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light behaves upon passage through microscopic optically trapped particles. Particles trapped with Gaussian and, separately, Bessel light beams in two spatially distinct sample chambers are studied with trapped objects in the first chamber acting as distorting obstacles. The Bessel beam can reconstruct its spatial form and this shows reconstruction of both spin and OAM over extended distances.