Bessel-like optical beams with arbitrary trajectories

    Authors

    I. D. Chremmos; Z. G. Chen; D. N. Christodoulides;N. K. Efremidis

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Opt. Lett.

    Keywords

    WAVE-FIELDS; LIGHT; Optics

    Abstract

    A method is proposed for generating Bessel-like optical beams with arbitrary trajectories in free space. The method involves phase-modulating an optical wavefront so that conical bundles of rays are formed whose apexes write a continuous focal curve with pre-specified shape. These ray cones have circular bases on the input plane; thus their interference results in a Bessel-like transverse field profile that propagates along the specified trajectory with a remarkably invariant main lobe. Such beams can be useful as hybrids between non-accelerating and accelerating optical waves that share diffraction-resisting and self-healing properties. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

    Journal Title

    Optics Letters

    Volume

    37

    Issue/Number

    23

    Publication Date

    1-1-2012

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    5003

    Last Page

    5005

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000311943900066

    ISSN

    0146-9592

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