Characterization of optical beams with spiral phase interferometry.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Wave Phenomena

Background:

• Characterizing optical beams is crucial for applications in laser technology and optical imaging.
• Existing methods may have limitations when applied to finite beams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically and experimentally investigate a novel method for determining the amplitude and phase of paraxial optical beams.
• To adapt the spiral phase interferometry technique for finite optical beams.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of the spiral phase interferometry technique.
• Experimental implementation and validation of the adapted technique.
• Numerical simulations for comparison with experimental results.

Main Results:

• The adapted spiral phase interferometry effectively characterizes the amplitude and phase of finite paraxial beams.
• Comparison of numerical and experimental results highlights the method's performance.
• Identification of the advantages and limitations of the proposed technique.

Conclusions:

• The adapted spiral phase interferometry is a viable method for optical beam characterization.
• The study provides insights into the practical application of this technique for finite beams.