Abstract
Here we introduce a diatom optical element—a special case of the generalized spiral lens widely used for generation of light fields with orbital angular momentum. The profile of such an element is visually similar to the structure of a diatom. In contrast to currently existing special cases (axicon, parabolic lens, or autofocusing optical element) of a generalized spiral lens, diatom optical elements shape light fields with an intensity distribution that is neither a spiral nor a ring. In addition, the light fields shaped with these elements show the autofocusing properties and invariance of their symmetry order during propagation. Experimentally obtained results are in good agreement with those from modeling.
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