Self-accelerating and self-breathing Bessel-like beams along arbitrary trajectories

We theoretically and experimentally study self-accelerating and self-breathing Bessel-like beams that fol- low arbitrary trajectories, including hyperbolic, hyperbolic secant, and three-dimensional （3D） spiraling trajectories. The beams have an overall Bessel-like profile in transverse dimensions; however, the intensity of their central main lobe breathes while traveling along a curved trajectory. Such beams can be readily generated experimentally through appropriate phase modulation of the optical wavefront. The beams con- tribute to the design of new families of self-accelerating beams.     

Accelerating parabolic beams

We demonstrate the existence of accelerating parabolic beams that constitute, together with the Airy beams, the only orthogonal and complete families of solutions of the two-dimensional paraxial wave equation that exhibit the unusual ability to remain diffraction-free and freely accelerate during propagation. Since the accelerating parabolic beams, like the Airy beams, carry infinite energy, we present exact finite-energy accelerating parabolic beams that still retain their unusual features over several diffraction lengths.     

Accelerating regular polygon beams

Beams that possess high-intensity peaks that follow curved paths of propagation under linear diffraction have recently been shown to have a multitude of interesting uses. In this Letter, a family of phase-only masks is derived, and each mask gives rise to multiple accelerating intensity maxima. The curved paths of the peaks can be described by the vertices of a regular polygon that is centered on the optic axis and expands with propagation.     

Correlation imaging with arbitrary sampling trajectories

The presented work aims to develop a generalized linear approach to image reconstruction with arbitrary sampling trajectories for high-speed MRI. This approach is based on a previously developed image reconstruction framework, “correlation imaging”. In the presented work, correlation imaging with arbitrary sampling trajectories is implemented in a multi-dimensional hybrid space that is formed from the physical sampling space and a virtually defined space. By introducing an undersampling trajectory with both uniformity and randomness in the hybrid space, correlation imaging may take advantage of multiple image reconstruction mechanisms including coil sensitivity encoding, data sparsity and information sharing. This hybrid-space implementation is demonstrated in multi-slice 2D imaging, multi-scan imaging, and radial dynamic imaging. Since more information is used in image reconstruction, it is found that hybrid-space correlation imaging outperforms several conventional techniques. The presented approach will benefit clinical MRI by enabling correlation imaging to be used to accelerate multi-scan clinical protocols that need different sampling trajectories in different scans.     

Accelerating finite energy Airy beams

We investigate the acceleration dynamics of quasi-diffraction-free Airy beams in both one- and two-dimensional configurations. We show that this class of finite energy waves can retain their intensity features over several diffraction lengths. The possibility of other physical realizations involving spatiotemporal Airy wave packets is also considered.     

Quantum arbitrary shaped beams revisited

In a current effort, we examine the analogies between electromagnetic scattering and quantum mechanical potential scattering of an incident arbitrary shaped beam. Quantum arbitrary shaped beams, introduced previously in a recent paper, have been found to be inadequate to provide a satisfactory analogy to the electromagnetic case. In this paper, we explain the origin of this inadequacy through the use of various examples, and introduce quantum Eigen-arbitrary shaped beams which exhibit a close analogy between electromagnetic scattering and quantum mechanical potential scattering of shaped beam.     

Influence of oxygen on the track etch rate along light ion trajectories in CR-39

The role of oxygen for stabilising radicals to form permanent damages in irradiated samples which are basically important for the etching process of track detectors has been studied. Samples of CR-39 were irradiated with 4 MeV -particles with a fluence of 30 000 particles per cm². The irradiations were performed in three different regimes:

• variation of out-gassing time in vacuum before irradiation;

• no out-gassing time but varied post-irradiation storage times in vacuum;

• variation of both storage times in vacuum before and after irradiation.

Generally, the absence of dissolved oxygen in the irradiated sample results in a decreased detection sensitivity in comparison with the detection properties and track parameters of samples irradiated in air. To determine the sensitivity the depth dependence of the track etch rate v_T(x) along the particle trajectory has been measured. From the observation of the dependence of the decreasing sensitivity on the post-irradiation storage time in vacuum, a lifetime of free radicals of 30 min could be derived. The amount of permanent damages responsible for the etching mechanism is related to the concentration profile of back-diffused oxygen and the REL-dependent radical concentration. This confirms previous results that the detection sensitivity is not a simple function of REL but depends on both REL and x the stronger the deeper within the irradiated sample.     

Optimization of sensitivity encoding with arbitrary k-space trajectories

Sensitivity encoding (SENSE) is a magnetic resonance technique that unifies gradient and receive coil encoding. SENSE reconstructs the image by solving a large, ill-conditioned inverse problem, which generally requires regularization and preconditioning. The present study suggests a simple heuristic for determining the regularization parameter. Also discussed are the use of density weighting and intensity correction as preconditioners and the role that coil sensitivity estimation has in regularization. A modification to the intensity correction is proposed for use with a phase constraint.     

Plasmonic Airy beams with dynamically controlled trajectories

We report the experimental generation and dynamic trajectory control of plasmonic Airy beams (PABs). The PABs are created by directly coupling free-space Airy beams to surface plasmon polaritons through a grating coupler on a metal surface. We show that the ballistic motion of the PABs can be reconfigured in real time by either a computer addressed spatial light modulator or mechanical means.     

Generation of arbitrary vector beams with a spatial light modulator and a common path interferometric arrangement

We describe a convenient approach for generating arbitrary vector beams in a 4-f system with a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a common path interferometric arrangement. A computer-generated hologram is introduced onto SLM for performing the beam conversion. Optical realization of a variety of polarization configurations confirms the reliability and flexibility of our method.     

Single-slit diffraction of the arbitrary vector beams

We present the single-slit diffraction of the arbitrary vector fields with different parameters m, n, and φ0theoretically and experimentally. The single slit covers the polarization singularity in the center and therefore the influence of the polarization singularity on the diffraction fringes is analyzed. The experimental results which agree well with the simulation results show that the total intensity of the diffraction field is related only to the topological charge m, but the polarization distribution of the diffraction field is related to all the parameters m, n, and φ0. Therefore, the diffraction patterns allow to determine all the parameters of the arbitrary vector fields.     

Generation of Accelerating Beams along Arbitrary Trajectories

A phase superposition approach for generating arbitrarily accelerating beams is proposed, where the superimposed phase is composed of multiple sub‐phases, each of which determines an independent sub‐beam or sub‐trajectory. Further, an effective algorithm is developed to improve the uniformity of the intensity along the arbitrary trajectory by introducing phase‐shift factors. Experimental results are consistent with numerical simulations. The proposed method can be extended to nonparaxial fields, and it also breaks the previous trajectory restrictions. The arbitrarily accelerating optical beams can pave the way for optically moving particles along a predefined trajectory. The property of such beams following arbitrary trajectories is likely to give rise to new applications in wave front control, flexible optical manipulation, and optical transport and guidance of particles.     

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%.     

Generation of arbitrary vector beams based on a single spatial light modulator and a thin-film polarization splitting cubic

A setup for the generation of arbitrary vector beams is proposed. The setup mainly consists of a spatial light modulator(SLM), an angle-adjustable polarization beam splitter modulator, and a spatial filtering imaging system. Compared with the system using a birefringent beam splitter with a non-adjustable splitting angle,the polarization splitting angle of the improved setup can be adjusted by slightly rotating the related mirrors,which will bring more convenience when different wavelengths and different pixel sizes of SLMs are involved.The experimental results also demonstrate that the setup possesses a good polarization-selective imaging ability, which reveals that the setup may also be useful in polarization-selective spatial filtering imaging and polarization-encoded encryption.     

A diffractive optical element for shaping arbitrary beams

A design method is presented for an optical element that shapes an arbitrary collimated beam. The optical element consists of a pair of diffractive optical elements (DOEs). The outgoing beam is also collimated, and can have any desired intensity profile. The phase functions of the DOEs are computed by minimizing an appropriate cost function under an energy conservation constraint.     

Hidden coherence along space-time trajectories in parametric wave mixing

We show theoretically that the waves generated through the generic parametric three- or four-wave-mixing processes exhibit, as a general rule, a hidden coherence characterized by skewed coherence lines along specific space-time trajectories. Our study generalizes the concept of coherence in the sense that these previously unrecognized coherent states cannot be described through the standard definitions of spatial and temporal coherence.     

Angular momentum of gaussian light beams

Analysis of the orbital angular momentum of paraxial light beams shows that a key role in the formation of this quantity is played by phase relations between longitudinal and transverse radiation fields. When a light beam is circularly polarized or has a helical wave front, the azimuthal component of the Poynting vector and the density of orbital angular momentum prove to be non-zero. In the case of circularly polarized radiation, the azimuthal component of the Poynting vector and the density of the orbital angular momentum can change the sign at different points in the cross section of the light beam, while the total orbital momentum of the beam remains quantized.