One- and two-dimensional ring array formed by birefringence in tandem with conical refraction: theoretical analysis

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Birefringence (BR) and conical refraction (CR) are key optical phenomena.
• Generating controlled optical ring arrays is crucial for advanced applications.
• Existing methods may lack flexibility in array formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a new method for creating tunable optical ring arrays.
• To utilize birefringence and conical refraction for beam splitting and ring formation.
• To demonstrate control over the spatial arrangement of the ring array.

Main Methods:

• Simulating the propagation of a circularly polarized Gaussian beam.
• Using a sequence of birefringence (YVO4) crystals for beam division.
• Employing a conical refraction (KGW) crystal for ring transformation.
• Adjusting crystal orientation and using a half-wave plate for array control.

Main Results:

• Successfully divided a beam into multiple sub-beams using BR crystals.
• Transformed sub-beams into multiple conical refraction rings using a CR crystal.
• Demonstrated the formation of a parallelogram structure with four sub-beams.
• Achieved controllable linear and rectangular CR ring arrays by adjusting optical components.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method effectively generates tunable optical ring arrays.
• The technique offers precise control over spatial arrangements (linear, rectangular).
• This method has potential applications in particle trapping, space communication, and laser systems.