Geometric Phases and Holonomy in Structured Optical Fields

Abstract

Geometric phases are widely used in modern optics, yet their meaning and underlying geometry depend on the actual physical settings, which can substantially differ from one another. This tutorial article introduces geometric phases in nanophotonic systems, focusing on the interaction of structured light with nanostructures or metaatoms. We compare the present setting with the conventional geometric phases of structured-light optics and clarify how the underlying geometries are genuinely different. Our aim is to provide a pedagogical bridge between the mathematical language of geometric phases and experimentally relevant examples from nanophotonics.