%0 Journal Article %J APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS %D 2012 %T Ultra-thin plasmonic optical vortex plate based on phase discontinuities %A Patrice Genevet %A Nanfang Yu %A Francesco Aieta %A Lin, Jiao %A Mikhail A. Kats %A Blanchard, Romain %A Scully, Marlan O. %A Gaburro, Zeno %A Federico Capasso %X A flat optical device that generates optical vortices with a variety of topological charges is demonstrated. This device spatially modulates light beams over a distance much smaller than the wavelength in the direction of propagation by means of an array of V-shaped plasmonic antennas with sub-wavelength separation. Optical vortices are shown to develop after a sub-wavelength propagation distance from the array, a feature that has major potential implications for integrated optics. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3673334] %B APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS %I AMER INST PHYSICS %C 1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA %V 100 %8 JAN 2 %G eng %N 1 %9 Article %R 10.1063/1.3673334