Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
Propagation of an Airy beam with a spiral phase
1School of sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin’an 311300, China. chuxiuxiang@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract:
The propagation of an Airy beam with a spiral phase is studied. The centroid position and spread of the beam are investigated analytically for different topological charges. Study shows that the centroid position of the Airy beam with a spiral phase keeps moving during propagation. The motion with positive topological charge is in the direction opposite to that with negative topological charge. The speed of the motion of the centroid position is proportional to the topological charge and the normalized distance. From the variation of the second moment of the beam, we can also see that the beam spread is speeded up by the spiral phase during propagation. The speed of the beam spread is proportional to the square of the topological charge.
Related Concept Videos
Propagation of Waves
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
Deflection of a Beam
Singularity functions, described in an earlier lesson, are powerful mathematical tools that represent discontinuities within a function commonly encountered in structural loading...
Propagation Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
Reflection of Waves
Design of Prismatic Beams for Bending
Standing Waves in a Cavity
