Direct generation of abruptly focusing vortex beams using a 3/2 radial phase-only pattern

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Beam Shaping

Background:

• Abruptly focusing Airy beams are crucial for applications requiring localized energy delivery.
• Previous methods utilized a radial cubic phase pattern, requiring a 2f optical system.
• This approach involved complex Fourier transform setups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a more compact and efficient method for generating abruptly focusing Airy beams.
• To explore the integration of vortex patterns with these beams.
• To simplify the optical system design for Airy beam generation.

Main Methods:

• Directly encoded a 3/2 radial phase pattern onto a liquid crystal display (LCD).
• Utilized the LCD as a phase modulator for beam generation.
• Designed a significantly shorter optical system compared to prior methods.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated abruptly focusing Airy beams with a compact optical setup.
• Achieved a substantial reduction in system length.
• Demonstrated the capability to easily introduce vortex patterns at the beam's focal point.
• Experimental outcomes closely aligned with theoretical predictions.

Conclusions:

• The 3/2 radial phase pattern on an LCD offers a simplified and shorter method for Airy beam generation.
• This technique provides enhanced control for creating vortex-carrying Airy beams.
• The findings pave the way for more practical applications of these specialized optical beams.