Dressing the cusp: how paraxial sharp-edge diffraction theory solves a basic issue in catastrophe optics

The description of light diffraction using catastrophe optics is one of the most intriguing theoretical inventions in the field of classical optics of the last four decades. Its practical implementation has faced some resistance over the years, mainly due to the difficulty of decorating the different (topologically speaking) types of optical singularities (caustics) that concur to build the skeleton on which diffraction patterns stem. Such a fundamental dressing problem has been solved in the past only for the so-called fold, which lies at the bottom of the hierarchy of structurally stable caustics. Climbing this hierarchy implies considerably more challenging mathematical problems to be solved. An ancient mathematical theorem is employed here to find the complete solution of the dressing problem for the cusp, which is placed, in the stable caustic hierarchy, immediately after the fold. The other ingredient used for achieving such an important theoretical result is the paraxial version of the boundary diffraction wave theory, whose tight connection with catastrophe optics has recently been emphasized [Opt. Lett.41, 3114 (2016)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.41.003114]. A significant example of the developed algorithm, aimed at demonstrating its effectiveness and ease of implementation, is also presented.