Generation of thin and hollow beams by the axicon with a large open angle

We propose a method to produce diffraction-free thin and hollow beams. The method is based on Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams incident on a large open-angle axicon. We use the vector diffraction integrals and stationary phase method to deduce a simple and analytical formula of the propagating field of the linearly polarized LG beams through an axicon. The numerical results show that the hollow beams of whose diameter is in the order of the wavelength can be obtained by using the axicon with the refractive index n = 2 and the open angle α = 25°. These diffraction-free thin and hollow beams may be very useful to accurately trap and manipulate atoms. However, when the open angle is over large, the conversion efficiency from the LG beam to the diffraction-free hollow beam will decrease obviously.     

Generalization and propagation of spiraling Bessel beams with a helical axicon

A generalized type of spiral Bessel beam has been demonstrated by using a spatially displaced helical axicon (HA). The topological charge of the spiraling Bessel beams is determined by the order of the input Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beam and the topological charge of the HA. The obtained spiraling Bessel beams have an LG type of modulation along their propagation direction and exhibit annihilation-reconstruction properties. Theoretical analysis is presented, including that of the stability, propagation distance, topological charge, and spiraling dynamic characteristics. The mathematical and numerical results show that the propagation distance and helical revolution of the spiraling Bessel beams can be controlled through choosing appropriate radius of the HA.     

Transverse mode selection in a monolithic microchip laser

We outline an approach to mode selection in a microchip laser through judicious shaping of the pump light to create a high modal overlap with the desired mode. We demonstrate the principle by creating a donut-shaped pump profile in the focal plane of a converging lens, and use this profile to longitudinally pump a monolithic microchip laser where the output is a Laguerre-Gaussian mode of radial index p = 0 and azimuthal index l = 1 (LG_0l), or vortex beam, of power ~ 12 mW with a slope efficiency of 17%. This approach of diffractive pump shaping in the Fourier domain is advantageous as it allows for high pump intensity even with low pumping powers, thus ensuring sufficient gain is achieved for laser oscillation.     

Transverse (lateral) instantaneous force of an acoustical first-order Bessel vortex beam centered on a rigid sphere

In a recent report [F.G. Mitri, Z.E.A. Fellah, Ultrasonics 51 (2011) 719-724], it has been found that the instantaneous axial force (i.e. acting along the axis of wave propagation) of a Bessel acoustic beam centered on a sphere is only determined for the fundamental order (i.e. m = 0) but vanishes when the beam is of vortex type (i.e. m > 0, where m is the order (or helicity) of the beam). It has also been recognized that for circularly symmetric beams (such as Bessel beams of integer order), the transverse (lateral) instantaneous force should vanish as required by symmetry. Nevertheless, in this commentary, the present analysis unexpectedly reveals the existence of a transverse instantaneous force on a rigid sphere centered on the axis of a Bessel vortex beam of unit magnitude order (i.e. |m| = 1) not reported in [F.G. Mitri, Z.E.A. Fellah, Ultrasonics 51 (2011) 719-724]. The presence of the transverse instantaneous force components of a first-order Bessel vortex beam results from mathematical anti-symmetry in the surface integrals, but vanishes for the fundamental (m = 0) and higher-order Bessel (vortex) beams (i.e. |m| > 1). Here, closed-form solutions for the instantaneous force components are obtained and examples for the transverse components for progressive waves are computed for a fixed and a movable rigid sphere. The results show that only the dipole (n = 1) mode in the scattering contributes to the instantaneous force components, as well as how the transverse instantaneous force per unit cross-sectional surface varies versus the dimensionless frequency ka (k is the wave number in the fluid medium and a is the sphere’s radius), and the half-cone angle β of the beam. Moreover, the velocity of the movable sphere is evaluated based on the concept of mechanical impedance. The proposed analysis may be of interest in the analysis of transverse instantaneous forces on spherical particles for particle manipulation and rotation in drug delivery and other biomedical or industrial applications.     

Spatially-variable retardation plate for efficient generation of radially- and azimuthally-polarized beams

We investigate conversion of a linearly-polarized Gaussian beam to a radially- or an azimuthally-polarized doughnut (0, 1)^∗ Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, performed with a spatially-variable retardation (SVR) plate. The SVR plate is composed of eight sectors of a λ/2 retardation plate, each one with different orientation of the to crystal’s slow axis. The analysis reveal that nearly-pure radially- or azimuthally-polarized LG(01)^∗ beam with M² = 2.2 can be obtained, while the transformation efficiency is 89.6%. In the experiments, performed with Nd:YAG laser, we transformed a Gaussian beam with M² = 1.3 to a radially- and azimuthally-polarized (0, 1)^∗ Laguerre-Gaussian beams with M² = 2.5. We carefully characterized the polarization state of the obtained radially- and azimuthally-polarized beams, measuring Stokes parameters. The polarization purity of the obtained beams, calculated from the measured data, was as high as 96%.     

Effect of the spiral phase element on the radial-polarization (0, 1) LG beam

Radially-polarized beams can be strongly amplified without significant birefringent-induced aberrations. However, radially-polarized beam is a high-order beam, and therefore has to be transformed into a fundamental Gaussian beam for reduction the beam-propagation factor M². In effort to transform the radially-polarized beam to a nearly-Gaussian beam, we consider effect of a spiral phase element (SPE) on the Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) (0, 1)^∗ beam with radial polarization, and compare this with the case when the input beam is a LG (0, 1)^∗ beam with spiral phase and uniform or random polarization. The LG (0, 1)^∗ beam with radial polarization, despite its identity in intensity profile to the beam with spiral phase, has distinctly different properties when interacting with the SPE. With the SPE and spatial filter, we transformed the radially-polarized (0, 1)^∗ mode with M² = 2.8 to a nearly-Gaussian beam with M² = 1.7. Measured transformation efficiency was 50%, and the beam brightness P/(M²)² was practically unchanged. The SPE affects polarization state of the radially-polarized beam, leading to appearance of spin angular momentum in the beam center at the far-field.     

螺旋轴棱锥的光束传输特性

 分析了螺旋轴棱锥的结构和光传输特性,基于衍射积分理论研究了发散球面波和拉盖尔-高斯光束经螺旋轴棱锥后的传输过程。研究表明,发散球面波经过螺旋轴棱锥后产生贝塞尔光束,其阶数与拓扑电荷数相同,但中心光斑（空心光斑）半径随传输距离的增加而变大;拉盖尔-高斯光束入射后同样产生贝塞尔光束,但其阶数变为拉盖尔-高斯光束和螺旋轴棱锥的拓扑电荷数之和,出射光束的拓扑电荷数与阶数相等。     

Focusing properties of cylindrical vector vortex beams with high numerical aperture objective

Focused by a high numerical-aperture objective in free space, the cylindrical vector beam phase-encoded by vortex phase plate with higher topological charge was capable to generate the doughnut-shaped spot in the vicinity of the focal region. The width of the dark focal spot was manipulated by the phase plate with different topological charge. The relationship between the properties of the focal spot and the vortex phase plate was explicitly analyzed for the input beam with different cylindrical vector polarization. Furthermore, the experimental verification was undertaken at the incidence beam λ = 635 nm with the radial and azimuthal polarization. The experimental results are in excellent agreement with the theoretical calculation.     

Generation of rotating intensity blades by superposing optical vortex beams

A kind of optical beam with controllable rotating intensity blades is generated by coaxially superposing two optical vortex beams with frequency difference (Δω), different topological charges (m₁ and m₂) and equal amplitude. It is shown theoretically that the number of the blades is determined by the subtraction of topological charges (m₁ − m₂) and the angular velocity of the rotating pattern is equal to Δω / (m₁ − m₂). In our experiment, the rotating beams were generated by two optical vortex beams with opposite topological charges, where the frequency difference is acquired by a rotating plate glass. The results are quite in accordance with the simulations.     

Vortex structure of Gross-Pitaevskii model

The vortex line of the Gross-Pitaevskii model is studied. The kinetic helicity of the vortex is discussed, and vortex structure is classified by the Hopf index, linking number in geometry. A mechanism of generation and annihilation of vortex lines is given by the method of phase singularity theory. The dynamic behavior of the vortex at the critical points is discussed in detail, and three kinds of length approximation relations at the neighborhood of a critical point are given: l ∝ (t − t^∗)^1/2, l ∝ t − t^∗, l = const.     

Acoustic scattering of a high-order Bessel beam by an elastic sphere

The exact analytical solution for the scattering of a generalized (or “hollow”) acoustic Bessel beam in water by an elastic sphere centered on the beam is presented. The far-field acoustic scattering field is expressed as a partial wave series involving the scattering angle relative to the beam axis and the half-conical angle of the wave vector components of the generalized Bessel beam. The sphere is assumed to have isotropic elastic material properties so that the nth partial wave amplitude for plane wave scattering is proportional to a known partial-wave coefficient. The transverse acoustic scattering field is investigated versus the dimensionless parameter ka(k is the wave vector, a radius of the sphere) as well as the polar angle θ for a specific dimensionless frequency and half-cone angle β. For higher-order generalized beams, the acoustic scattering vanishes in the backward (θ = π) and forward (θ = 0) directions along the beam axis. Moreover it is possible to suppress the excitation of certain resonances of an elastic sphere by appropriate selection of the generalized Bessel beam parameters.     

Acoustic beam interaction with a rigid sphere: The case of a first-order non-diffracting Bessel trigonometric beam

Mathematical expressions for the acoustic scattering, instantaneous (linear), and time-averaged (nonlinear) forces resulting from the interaction of a new type of Bessel beam, termed here a first-order non-diffracting Bessel trigonometric beam (FOBTB) with a sphere, are derived. The beam is termed “trigonometric” because of the dependence of its phase on the cosine function. The FOBTB is regarded as a superposition of two equi-amplitude first-order Bessel vortex (helicoidal) beams having a unit positive and negative order (known also as topological charge), respectively. The FOBTB is non-diffracting, possesses an axial null, a geometric phase, and has an azimuthal phase that depends on cos(?±?₀), where ?₀ is an initial arbitrary phase angle. Beam rotation around its wave propagation axis can be achieved by varying ?₀. The 3D directivity patterns are computed, and the resulting modifications of the scattering are illustrated for a rigid sphere centered on the beam's axis and immersed in water. Moreover, the backward and forward acoustic scattering by a sphere vanish for all frequencies. The present paper will shed light on the novel scattering properties of an acoustical FOBTB by a sphere that may be useful in particle manipulation and entrapment, non-destructive/medical imaging, and may be extended to other potentially useful applications in optics and electromagnetism.     

Phase structure of helico-conical optical beams

We examine the phase structures of Helico-Conical (HC) Optical Beams produced via computer-generated holograms (CGH). The CGHs of these beams are made such that the reconstruction will have a phase which is a product of a helical and a conical phase. Interference-based phase measurement technique reveals very distinct differences between the phases of the two types of HC Beams (K = 0 and K = 1). Most obvious is the presence of screw dislocations at the center of the beam for K = 1 while no screw dislocations are found at the center for K = 0. We also compare the experimental interference patterns with numerical interference patterns calculated by superimposing a field containing vortices at different positions and a plane wave. A remarkable similarity is seen between the interferograms, which is a good indication of the phase of these beams. Contour plots are drawn to show the phases of these beams. We observe a string of vortices with equal charge in contrast to the assumption that a string of alternating charges should be seen.     

Double-slit interference with Laguerre-Gaussian beams

The interference of Laguerre-Gaussian beams carrying orbital angular momentum was demonstrated in Young's double-slit geometry. Double-slit interference is shown to be affected by the azimuthal phase dependence of a Laguerre-Gaussian beam. This interference provides new insight into the helical phase structure of the Laguerre-Gaussian beam and has potential applications for measuring the orbital angular momentum of an arbitrary wavefront.     

Theoretical conversion of the hypergeometric-Gaussian beams family into a high-order spiraling Bessel beams by a curved fork-shaped hologram

Based on the process of the Fresnel diffraction, the possibility of generating a new type of laser beams family by illuminating a curved fork-shaped hologram, with an input hypergeometric-Gaussian beams family of orders n and m is studied in this paper. The theoretical and the numerical results showed that, at the output plane, a high order spiraling Bessel vortex beam is produced. This vortex beam is divergence or non-divergence depending upon the waist position of the input hypergeometric-Gaussian beams, regarding the plane where the curved fork-shaped hologram is situated. Analytical expressions of the amplitude and the intensity distribution of the diffracted wave field are calculated and deduced using the stationary phase method. The actual work generalizes also the Fresnel diffraction study of some subfamilies of the hypergeometric-Gaussian beams family, such as: fundamental Gaussian, hollow Gaussian, modified quadratic Bessel–Gaussian and elegant Laguerre–Gaussian beams.     

Vortex solitons with inhomogeneous polarization in nonlocal self-focusing nonlinear media

Both azimuthally and radially polarized vortex solitons are investigated to be able to exist in highly nonlocal nonlinear media. We get exactly analytical solutions of azimuthally polarized vortex solitons with only polarization singularities and radially polarized vortex solitons with both phase singularities and polarization singularities. Both azimuthally and radially polarized vortex solitons can exist in nonlocal self-focusing nonlinear media with proper modulation of the beam power and the degree of nonlocality. Contrary to those of radially polarized counterparts in local Kerr media, the topological charge can be any integer. When the topological charge m ≠ 0, both phase singularities and polarization singularities work. When m = 0, the polarization singularities work. Azimuthally polarized vortex solitons with polarization singularities corresponds to the linearly polarized vortex solitons with single charge. Our results show that polarization singularities work the same way as phase singularities in some sense.     

Quasi Bessel beam by Billet's N-split lens

This study utilizes the focal property of a classical Billet's split lens to create more focal points by splitting the lens. This approach distributes the focal points circularly on the focal plane. This study explores the characteristics of beam propagation and analytically derives the asymptotic characteristics of beam propagation based on the stationary phase approximation and the moment-free Filon-type method. Results show that the unique Billet's N-split lens can generate a quasi Bessel beam if the number of splitting N is large enough, e.g., N ≧ 24. This study also explores the diffraction efficiency of corresponding quasi Bessel beam and the influence of aperture size. The potential advantage of proposed split lens approach is that, unlike the classical means of annular aperture, this simple lens approach allows a much larger throughput in creating the Bessel beam and hence the Bessel beam could have more optical energy.     

Trapping Rayleigh particles using highly focused higher-order radially polarized beams

The optical trapping characteristics of highly focused higher-order radially polarized beams (R-TEM_p1*) acting on a Rayleigh particle are studied theoretically. Numerical results show that as the order p of beam increases and the numerical aperture NA_o of the objective decreases, the axial trap distance increases but the trap depth and maximum restoring force decreases. In a limit of NA_o = 1, three higher-order R-TEM_p1* beams of p = 1, 2, 3, like the fundamental lowest-order radially polarized beam of p = 0, can three-dimensionally trap a particle to the focus but the axial trap stiffness decreases with the increase of p. When NA_o = 0.95, the focus is still a stable trap point for the two beams of p = 0 and 1 but it becomes an unstable trap point for the two beams of p = 2 and 3. The trap stability is also discussed for higher-order radially polarized beam illumination.     

Self-action of Bessel light beams in medium with large nonlinearity

The modifications of an angular spectrum of the intense Bessel J₀ and J₁ beams caused by self-action in the medium with large cubic nonlinearity are investigated. The appearance of an outer ring of triple radius was observed. The phenomenon can be explained as Bragg diffraction of Bessel beam on Bessel lattice in nonlinear medium. Experimental results are in qualitative agreement with the theoretical predictions.