Three-level filter for increased depth of focus and Bessel beam generation
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Updated: May 15, 2026

The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
Published on: August 12, 2013
Colin J R Sheppard1, Shalin Mehta
1Italian Institute of Technology, Genova 16163, Italy. colinjrsheppard@gmail.com
Abstract:
A novel axially-symmetric filter for increasing focal depth and generating an approximation to a Bessel beam is proposed. It consists of an array of rings of strength -1,0 and 1. The design is based on an analytic solution, and combines high resolution in the transverse direction with good efficiency. One presented design increases the depth of focus compared with a standard lens by more than 30 times, with a very flat axial intensity distribution over this range. Effects of discretization are discussed. Various different approaches to increasing depth of focus are compared, to put the new design into perspective.
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