Zeroth- and first-order long range non-diffracting Gauss-Bessel beams generated by annihilating multiple-charged...

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Beam Shaping Technologies

Background:

• Generating non-diffracting beams like Gauss-Bessel beams (GBBs) is crucial for applications requiring stable beam propagation.
• Existing methods, such as using annular slits or axicons, often suffer from low efficiency or limited beam quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate an efficient and flexible alternative approach for generating zeroth- and first-order long-range non-diffracting GBBs.
• To characterize the generated GBBs and compare their performance with existing methods.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a Gaussian beam as the input.
• Creating a bright ring-shaped beam with a large radius-to-width ratio using spatial light modulators to generate and annihilate highly charged optical vortices.
• Employing a thin lens for Fourier transformation to generate GBBs with flat or helical phase profiles.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated zeroth- and first-order long-range GBBs with negligible transverse evolution up to 2 meters.
• The developed method is significantly more efficient than using annular slits.
• The quality of GBBs generated by this method surpasses that of GBBs created by low-angle axicons, especially at large propagation distances.

Conclusions:

• The presented method offers a flexible, efficient, and accessible way to generate high-quality non-diffracting GBBs.
• The technique relies on readily available spatial light modulators, making it suitable for various laboratories.
• The analytical model developed accurately reproduces the experimental findings.