Airy Wave Packets Accelerating In Space-Time

Abstract

Although diffractive spreading is an unavoidable feature of all wave phenomena, certain waveforms can attain propagation invariance. A lesser-explored strategy for achieving optical self-similar propagation exploits the modification of the spatiotemporal field structure when observed in reference frames moving at relativistic speeds. For such an observer, it is predicted that the associated Lorentz boost can bring to a halt the axial dynamics of a wave packet of an arbitrary profile. This phenomenon is particularly striking in the case of a self-accelerating beam - such as an Airy beam - whose peak normally undergoes a transverse displacement upon free propagation. Here we synthesize an acceleration-free Airy wave packet that travels in a straight line by deforming its spatiotemporal spectrum to reproduce the impact of a Lorentz boost. The roles of the axial spatial coordinate and time are swapped, leading to "time diffraction" manifested in self-acceleration observed in the propagating Airy wave-packet frame.

Publication Date

4-16-2018

Publication Title

Physical Review Letters

Volume

120

Issue

16

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.163901

Socpus ID

85045570953 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85045570953

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS