Design, transform and control of optical field in discrete optical system: an example

Area of Science:

• * Photonics and Waveguide Optics
• * Nonlinear Optics and Beam Shaping

Background:

• * Discrete optical systems, analogous to diffraction in continuous media, can shape light spatial distribution via optical coupling in array waveguides.
• * Controlling optical field propagation is crucial for advanced optical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To theoretically demonstrate control methods for optical field propagation in a discrete optical system.
• * To present a transform mechanism between Gaussian and Airy beam propagation within an Airy fiber.
• * To propose novel methods for Airy phase modulation.

Main Methods:

• * Utilized a discrete optical system comprising an Airy fiber with two perpendicular arrayed cores.
• * Investigated phased arrayed modulation of coupling array cores to control output beam wavefront.
• * Proposed and analyzed methods involving optical wavelength alteration, fiber length adjustment, and bending-induced refractive-index changes for modulation.

Main Results:

• * Demonstrated a brief transform mechanism between Gaussian and Airy beam propagation.
• * Showcased the effectiveness of fiber length and bending-induced refractive-index changes for Airy phase modulation.
• * Successfully generated Gaussian, one-dimensional Airy, and two-dimensional Airy beams from a single Airy fiber by controlling parameters.

Conclusions:

• * The proposed methods offer effective control over optical field propagation in discrete systems.
• * These techniques enable the generation of diverse optical beams, including Airy, Bessel, and Mathieu beams.
• * The findings are broadly applicable to other discrete optical systems and beam generation applications.