Asymmetric Mathieu beams

We report the generation of asymmetric Mathieu beams: invariant intensity optical profiles that can be described by three parameters. The first one describes the amount of ellipticity, the second one takes into account the degree of asymmetry of the profile, and the third parameter denotes the angular position, where it is localized with the respective asymmetry. We propose a simple angular spectrum to generate these nondiffracting beams,and we report how it changes their distribution of power and orbital angular momentum in function with their ellipticity and degree of asymmetry. We confirm the existence of these invariant beams by propagation in an experimental setup.     

无衍射光束的产生及其应用

近年来,随着激光技术的快速发展,相继产生了多种在远距离传输后中心光斑保持不变的无衍射光束,包括贝塞尔光束、高阶贝塞尔光束、马丢光束、高阶马丢光束、余弦光束、抛物线光束以及艾里光束.无衍射光束在激光打孔、激光精密准直、光学精密控制、光学微操控、光通信、等离子体导向、光子弹产生、光通信、自聚焦光束的合成以及非线性光学等领域中有着广泛的应用.本文介绍了各类无衍射光束的数学表达式、产生方法及对应的实验结果;就无衍射光束的特性和应用进行了归纳和讨论;并对其在未来的研究与应用前景中发挥的重要作用进行了简要总结与展望.     

Flat-topped Mathieu-Gauss beam and its transformation by paraxial optical systems

In order to avoid the severe axial intensity oscillations which appear when an ideal Mathieu beam is truncated, we propose to modulate it by a flattened multi-Gaussian envelope. The obtained beam, which is referred as flattened Mathieu-Gauss (FTMG) beam, can be expanded into a finite series of Mathieu-Gauss beams with various waists. The propagation study of this beam reveals that the axial intensity is unchanged within a certain propagation distance as for super-Gaussian-Bessel beams or Gori’s flattened Bessel beams. By using Collins formula, we derive closed-form expressions of FTMG beam propagating through a paraxial axisymmetric ABCD optical system. Some numerical calculations and discussions are also given.     

A study of source plane Mathieu beams

We derive the source field expressions of different Mathieu beams. In particular, Mathieu beams consisting of the infinite summations of J-type Bessel functions and their Gaussian counterparts are studied. Mathieu beams based on the summation of I-type Bessel functions are introduced as well. By plotting the source intensities of such beams, the variations of the related profiles are examined against the changes in the source parameters. It is found that, via the adjustment of these parameters, it is possible to obtain completely new beam configurations and also those similar to the existing beams of the present literature.     

基于轴棱锥产生近似无衍射Mathieu光束的新方法

提出了一种基于轴棱锥产生零阶近似无衍射Mathieu光束的新方法,利用轴棱锥聚焦具有椭圆高斯振幅调制的平面波,得到近似零阶无衍射Mathieu光束.根据椭圆高斯平面波经轴棱锥衍射的衍射积分公式,对光强分布进行了数值模拟,依据几何光学模型计算了近似无衍射Mathieu光束的最大无衍射距离,并设计了实验对理论模拟的结果进行了验证.实验采用柱透镜和准直扩束系统变换圆高斯光束产生具有椭圆高斯振幅调制的平面波,用轴棱锥聚焦该平面波后得到近似无衍射Mathieu光束,实验结果与理论模拟和计算相符.     

基于格林函数法的奇型Mathieu-Gaussian光束

根据光束传播的独立性和叠加性原理,引入了一组能够产生第一类(2n+2阶)奇型Mathieu-Gaussian光束的虚光源点.利用虚源点技术和格林函数法,计算得到第一类奇型Mathieu-Gaussian光束的严格解析积分表达式.利用该表达式得到了轴上光场分布的积分解析解.以三阶非旁轴修正为例,得到了第一类奇型Mathieu-Gaussian光束保留到三阶非旁轴修正项的轴上光场分布精确解.     

Compact, reliable asymmetric optical configuration for cost-effective fabrication of multiplex dot matrix hologram in anti-counterfeiting applications

This study presents a compact optical configuration that can generate a multiplex dot-matrix hologram with complex interlaced images for anti-counterfeiting applications on valuable paper. Varying the orientation of the interference plane can enable the multiplex hologram to be recorded without changing the interference angle of two laser beams. With its simple asymmetric optical setup, a multiplex hologram with many interlaced images can be efficiently fabricated, increasing the cost of imitation. Experimental details of the asymmetric optical setup are also described.     

基于光学全息的任意矢量光的生成方法

基于光学全息的角度复用特性, 根据空间光调制器对光场的相位和振幅调制原理, 通过加载产生任意矢量光所需要的相位分布, 设计了一种生成任意矢量光的方法. 该方法首先利用光学全息技术记录空间光调制器加载的相位, 从而制作一个全息光栅; 再现过程中, 两束具有相同入射角度的参考光照射全息光栅, 使得两束再现光相干叠加, 进而获得可调控的任意矢量光. 该方法能够避免复杂偏振态的出现, 并且具有生成光路简单、方便操作、生成矢量光的偏振纯度高等优势. 通过计算机模拟生成了任意矢量光, 获得了很好的效果.     

The optical Airy transform and its application in generating and controlling the Airy beam

We propose an optical Airy transform in this paper, and obtain the analytical expressions for the Airy transform of fundamental Gaussian beams and finite energy Airy beams. The setup for performing the optical Airy transform is presented. The Airy transform for Gaussian beams and finite energy Airy beams are theoretically calculated and analyzed. Our results show that the Airy beam can be conveniently generated and controlled through the optical Airy transform of the Gaussian beam. The optical Airy transform also can be used to directly modulate the beam parameters of the incident Airy beam, and it can transform the incident Airy beam into the Gaussian beam.     

Alternative formulation for invariant optical fields: Mathieu beams

Based on the separability of the Helmholtz equation into elliptical cylindrical coordinates, we present another class of invariant optical fields that may have a highly localized distribution along one of the transverse directions and a sharply peaked quasi-periodic structure along the other. These fields are described by the radial and angular Mathieu functions. We identify the corresponding function in the McCutchen sphere that produces this kind of beam and propose an experimental setup for the realization of an invariant optical field.     

Laser surface patterning using a Michelson interferometer and femtosecond laser radiation

We report on a simple method to obtain surface gratings using a Michelson interferometer and femtosecond laser radiation. In the optical setup used, two parallel laser beams are generated using a beam splitter and then focused using the same focusing lens. An interference pattern is created in the focal plane of the focusing lens, which can be used to pattern the surface of materials. The main advantage of this method is that the optical paths difference of the interfering beams is independent of the distance between the beams. As a result, the fringes period can be varied without a need for major realignment of the optical system and the time coincidence between the interfering beams can be easily monitored. The potential of the method was demonstrated by patterning surface gratings with different periods on titanium surfaces in air.     

Scattering of Mathieu beams by a rigid sphere

Based on the recent results on the scattering of Bessel beams by a sphere and using the Whittaker integral, the scattering by a rigid sphere centred on a Mathieu beam is derived. The scattering field is expressed as a partial wave series involving the scattering angles relative to the beam axis and Mathieu beam parameters. Some numerical calculations are performed and it is shown that the illumination of a rigid sphere by a Mathieu beam produces asymmetrical scattering as a function of scattering angles θ and ?. The geometrical properties of the scattering Mathieu beam are noted.     

Generation of radially polarized light beams of high quality using a step-index optical fiber

We present an experimental setup to generate radially polarized beams without using high-cost optical elements. In the setup a four-segment polarization converter is used in front of the fiber to produce a pseudo radially polarized beam. A traditional step-index fiber which supports only LP₀₁ and LP₁₁ modes is then used as a mode-cleaning device. A commercial mechanical fiber-squeezer polarization controller is applied to produce adequate pressure and twist onto the fiber. The four-segment polarization converter and the fiber squeezer polarization controller are adjusted by turns for improving the beam quality in intensity and polarization. Additionally, several methods of characterizing the polarization properties of radially polarized beams are reviewed. One of the latest methods is applied for characterizing the polarization properties of the radially polarized beams produced by using our technique. The results show the highquality of the obtained beams.     

Light beats the spread: “non‐diffracting” beams

“Non‐diffracting” beams do not spread as they propagate. This property is useful in many areas. Here, the theory, generation, properties, and applications of various “non‐diffracting” beams, including the Bessel beam, Mathieu beam, and Airy beam is reviewed. Applications include imaging, micromanipulation, nonlinear optics, and optical transfection.     

Solitons in complex optical lattices

We present an overview of our recent results in the area of soliton excitation and control in optical lattices induced by different types of nondiffracting beams featuring unique symmetries. Optical lattices offer the possibility to engineer and to control the diffraction of light beams in media with transversally modulated optical properties, to manage the corresponding reflection and transmission bands, and to form specially designed defects. Consequently, they afford the existence of a rich variety of new families of nonlinear stationary waves and solitons, lead to new rich dynamical phenomena, and offer novel conceptual opportunities for all-optical shaping, switching and routing of optical signals encoded in soliton formats. In this overview, we consider different types of solitons, including fundamental, multipole, and vortex solitons in reconfigurable lattices optically induced by nondiffracting radially symmetric and azimuthally modulated single Bessel beams, soliton control in networks, couplers, and switches induced by several mutually coherent or incoherent Bessel beams, we address soliton properties in three-dimensional Bessel lattices, as well as in lattices produced by Mathieu and parabolic optical beams.     

高效产生任意矢量光场的一种方法

提出一种高效产生任意矢量光场的方法.利用两个光束偏移器分别对两个正交线偏振分量进行分束与合束,将传统激光模式转化为任意矢量光场.所产生矢量光场的偏振态和相位分布通过相位型空间光调制器(SLM)加载相应的相位实时调控.由于光路系统中不涉及任何衍射光学元件和振幅分光元件,光场转换效率高,仅取决于SLM的反射率,并且光路系统结构紧凑、稳定,同轴性易于调节.实验结果显示,采用反射率为79%的相位型SLM产生矢量光场的转换效率可达到58%.     

Interfering Bessel beams for optical micromanipulation

We examine the properties of interfering high-order Bessel beams. We implement an experimental setup that allows us to realize these interferograms, using interfering Laguerre-Gaussian beams and an axicon. We demonstrate the use of such beams for controlled rotation of microscopic particles in optical tweezers and rotators. The self-healing properties of interfering Bessel beams allow the simultaneous manipulation and rotation of particles in spatially separated sample cells.     

Analysis of a polarisation-maintaining NOLM switch for OTDM applications

We propose a polarisation-maintaining NOLM switch design to be used as optical regenerator or wavelength converter in dense optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) systems. The Sagnac loop is made of a piece of high birefringence fibre which is cut and cross-spliced in the middle. If pump and probe polarisations are linear and aligned in the co-propagating direction, the cross-splice ensures that the counter-propagating probe beam will be orthogonal to the pump, so that the parasitic cross-phase modulation between counter-propagating beams is minimised. This architecture also allows easy control of the optical phase bias, through squeezing a short section of the fibre, without any other modification of the setup. The performances of the proposed architecture are studied analytically and numerically, and compared with those of conventional schemes. It appears that, although the proposed setup reduces the interaction between counter-propagating beams only by a factor 3, it yields an extinction ratio improvement of a factor 10 or higher in comparison with conventional schemes. If there is substantial walkoff between pump and probe, a 10-fold reduction of the relative intensity noise of the emerging signal is also obtained when the mark ratio of the incoming data is variable.     

A detailed study of Mathieu-Gauss beams propagation through an apertured ABCD optical system

Using Collins formula and the expansion of Mathieu beams in terms of Bessel beams we derive the exact propagation equations of Mathieu-Gauss beams through an apertured paraxial ABCD optical system. A comparison between the exact propagation equations and the approximated ones, which are derived by expanding the circ function into a finite sum of Gaussian functions, is presented. The propagation characteristics of zeroth-order Mathieu-Gauss beams in (y-z) and (x-z) planes are analyzed with detailed numerical calculations. It is found that the profile of the propagated Mathieu-Gauss beam is similar to that of Bessel-Gauss beam. Furthermore, the focalization of the Mathieu-Gauss beams through a thin lens is illustrated and analyzed with numerical results.     

Laser micro- and nanostructuring using femtosecond Bessel beams

We report the generation of femtosecond Bessel beams of conical half-angle 26 degrees using an axicon lens and a beam reduction imaging setup. The generated Bessel beams were applied to the micromachining of nanostructures in glass of length up to 100 μm. The effect of the incident pulse energy on the characteristics of the nano- structures was studied using optical microscopy.