Recently, Fang Yiqi, a junior student from the College of Physical Science and Technology (CPST), published as the first author a paper entitled “Fractional-topological-charge -induced vortex birth and splitting of light fields on the submicron scale” in the Journal of Physical Review A, a globally prestigious journal in the field of physics. And, this paper featured as Editor’s Suggestion on the homepage of the Journal. Sponsored by the American Physical Society in the realms of atoms, molecules and physical optics, Physical Review A is a top-tier journal of physics in JCR2 and one of the 68 natural science journals that comprise the Nature Index (one of the 16 physics journals).

Nowadays, the scientific and industrial communities have showed keen interests in the study on the orbital angular momentum (OAM) of photons which is of high relevance to the optical vortex, one of the international research hot topics in relation to the high dimensional quantum information process and application. Since his participation in quantum optics experiments led by Prof. Wang Lixiang in 2014, Fang Yiqi has become fascinated with the optical vortex manipulation and detection. Indeed, his motto “Hard work pays off”, his strong interest and research fervor, plus the guidance of Prof. Chen Lixiang, have come into fruition and contributed to his success today. Based on the periscopic holographic lithography technique, Fang’s paper thoroughly analyzes the spontaneous splitting property of optical fractional vortex in free space propagation. For example, it discovers the asynchronous evolution of vortex couple on the submicro scale and reveals the fact that, when topological-charges are 3.48 and 3.52, the corresponding fractional vortexes would spontaneously break up into three and four integer-ordered vortexes. All these researches are of core theoretical value to the study in structured beam propagation and the like. Besides, the Editor’s Suggestion noted in particular that their development of the holography lithography method may be efficiently employed to study other structured matter waves.

CPST has benefited greatly from the XMU innovation and entrepreneurship training program for undergraduate students and the building of the platform of the “Pilot training program for top-notch students exceling in foundational disciplines”. For this purpose, many efforts have been invested with regard to the undergraduate science innovation activities. College and department leaders invariably set great store by the construction of relevant curriculum system, the pedagogical reform, and the formulation of talent training mode. Frontline teachers are advised to integrate teaching with scientific research , to introduce into the classroom the “high-end” academic lectures. Meanwhile, undergraduate students are urged to access the “state-of-the-art” physics labs, top students are motivated to engage in exchange activities like summer school and academic meeting. As for Fang Yiqi’s experience in Peking University Summer School 2015 for China’s Exceptional College Students in Physics, he was quoted as commenting:“The summer school experience is not only a great incentive to me, but also a reminder that knowledge knows no bounds.” His success story proved to be a case in point indicative of the noticeable effect of CPST’s effort towards the innovation and entrepreneurship training program and the pilot training program for top students.

Edited by Meng Ling

Source:http://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.95.023821