Beam quality evaluation method for vortex light fields based on Wasserstein distance principles.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Beam Quality Assessment

Background:

• Vortex beams feature helical phase and ring intensity, enabling applications in sensing and communication.
• Coherent beam combining (CBC) generates high-power vortex beams.
• Current beam quality metrics like power-in-the-bucket (PIB) are limited for vortex beams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, accurate beam quality evaluation method for vortex beams generated via CBC.
• To assess the impact of various perturbations on CBC performance and the proposed evaluation method.

Main Methods:

• Proposed a novel beam quality evaluation method based on the Wasserstein distance principle.
• Analyzed the effects of phase errors, positional errors, intensity fluctuations, and timing disturbances within the CBC system.
• Examined the accuracy and stability of the Wasserstein distance method under these disturbances.

Main Results:

• The Wasserstein distance method provides a more accurate assessment of vortex beam quality compared to PIB.
• The proposed method demonstrates robustness and stability under various perturbation conditions.
• Identified specific impacts of phase, position, intensity, and timing errors on CBC performance.

Conclusions:

• The Wasserstein distance principle offers a superior approach for evaluating the quality of vortex beams produced by CBC.
• This new method enhances the reliability of high-power vortex beam generation and application.
• The findings are crucial for advancing optical micromanipulation, communication, and laser detection technologies.